From December 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023, Art Museum RIGA BOURSE presents painting "Madonna And Child" by 16th-century Italian Renaissance painter Francesco Brina. This artwork will be displayed among permanent exhibition works on the 4th floor of the museum. This painting is a part of a private collection of Giorgio Baratti Antiquario (Milan, Italy).
The painter Francesco Brina (also known as Del Brina/Brini, 1540–1586)
is a Renaissance and Mannerism master, who lived and worked in Florence, honing his talents under the tutelage of Michele Tosini (1503–1577). His works can be found in the churches of Florence and Vinci (Church of Santa Felicita in Florence; Church of Santa Croce in Vinci, etc.), museums in various countries (Prado, Uffi zi, etc.), and in private collections (Giorgio Baratti etc.).
In creating medium-format paintings, Brina mainly depicts the Madonna and Child or the Holy Family. John the Baptist is also visible in almost all of the works. In Florence, Brina is also known as a Madonnero. This term, which originated in Venice, was used during the 15th–18th centuries to denote painters who specialized in depictions of the Madonna.
One of the most popular motifs in sacred art is the Madonna as a mother holding her newborn child Jesus. The background of the composition is formed by green drapes and a small fragment of landscape visible through the window. Depicted at
the center is the seated Madonna, who is holding the sleeping baby Jesus in her right arm. The child’s body is wrapped in fine, transparent drapery. In accordance with tradition, the Madonna is dressed in red with a blue cloak. The forms are created through games of light and shadow, combining certain areas, harmonizing fine colour nuances and using contrasts, which highlight the child’s figure against the background of his mother’s clothing. In turn, the figure of the Madonna stands out against the dark background.
This exhibition of one painting by Francesco Brina continues the tradition that started in 2014 of displaying one special pre-Renaissance or Renaissance work loaned from the rich collections of Italy during the Advent Season and Christmas. Usually, the exhibitions are displayed until Epiphany or even a little longer. In 2014, this exhibition series started by displaying the painting Madonna of Humility by Gentile da Fabriano (1370–1427) from the National Museum of San Matteo in Pisa, and in 2018 it was the Saint Catherine of Alexandria by Raphael (1483–1520) from the National Gallery of the Marche.