Virgin and Child

The painting shows the Virgin Mary seated on an ornate throne, clothed in a black mantle with gold trim, holding a nude infant Jesus who sits on her lap; both figures have circular halos with radiating lines against a rich gold-patterned backdrop. The composition is formal and frontal, with Mary’s gaze directed downward and Jesus extending his arms, creating a calm, ceremonial tableau. Bouguereau’s polished Academic Realism is evident in the smooth, highly modeled skin tones, delicate drapery, and a restrained palette of golds, blacks, and reds that evoke a devout, neoclassical mood.