La Vierge au coussin vertEngraving The Virgin with the Green Cushion

The Virgin with the Green Cushion, also known as The Virgin Nursing the Child, was painted by Andrea Solario in the early 16th century, between 1507 and 1510. The painting quickly became famous and circulated in European courts from the 17th century onwards. Although the iconography of the nursing Virgin...

The Virgin with the Green Cushion, also known as The Virgin Nursing the Child, was painted by Andrea Solario in the early 16th century, between 1507 and 1510. The painting quickly became famous and circulated in European courts from the 17th century onwards. Although the iconography of the nursing Virgin was very popular at the time, the composition of the painting, with the infant Jesus lying on a green cushion rather than sitting on his mother's lap or in her arms, makes it unique. After passing through several royal collections, the painting arrived at the Louvre Museum at the very end of the 18th century. Joseph Carl de Meulemester's etching and engraving dates from 1801-1804. It was commissioned directly by the Louvre's chalcography department, founded a few years earlier in 1794, as evidenced by the inscriptions at the bottom of the print. An engraver of Flemish origin, de Meulemester produced little, but drew on his familiarity with Italian Renaissance art throughout his career.