The Virgin and Child in a Landscape

"The Virgin and Child in a Landscape" is an oil panel painting from around 1520 by Flemish artist Gerard David, now housed in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. This Northern renaissance religious painting depicts the Virgin in a serene pose, similar to other works by David in New York, Washington, and Madrid. Unlike those, which often symbolize the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, this piece utilizes the background landscape to depict the "hortus conclusus," or 'closed garden,' from the Song of Songs. Adding white lilies emphasizes Mary's virginity, enhancing its symbolic richness."