The University of Kansas

Follower of Giovanni di Stefano, called Il Sassetta

Italy, late 15th century
Madonna and Child
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Study Collection, 1960.45

The Riemenschneider and the Arrest of Christ probably were made for a church. However, the small, painted 15th-century Italian Madonna and Child triptych (three-part painting) by a follower of Giovanni di Stefano (also called Sassetta) most likely was made for an individual. Originally the side panels of this portable altar could be folded over the center picture so that it might be carried easily from place to place. It is small enough to fit on a table or in a small altar in a home. While the figures have finely detailed facial features and luxuriant curvilinear drapery, they also are stately and solid, suggesting that they have weight and volume.