Madonna and Child with the Milk Soup is a 1510-1515 religious painting by artist of the Dutch Golden Age Gerard David.
Analysis of Madonna and Child with the Milk Soup
Nothern Netherlandish artist Gerard David painted a number of works that illustrate this same theme such as Madonna and Child with the Milk Soup.
This picture portrays an infant Christ fed from a bowl by the Virgin Mary was a common theme for private devotion in the 16th century. By depicting the Holy Family in contemporary clothing performing a mundane domestic activity, these images served as a reminder of Christ’s humanity at the same time created a metaphor for the ways in which the Church and Christ himself would nurture his devoted followers.
The bread on the table and the jug on the cabinet in the background are further references to transubstantiation.
This work can be found at the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.