Walters Art Museum: European Painting 15th through 18th Centuries, part 1

The second floor of the original building of the Walters Art Museum is a chronology of European painting from the 15th through the 18th centuries.  It chronicles the movement from a focus on Religious works as artifacts of faith, to secular Portraiture, Historical and Mythical themes to Religious works as allegory.  The many rooms are full of gems.  You could easily spend the entire day here reveling in the art and the history.  I'm representing this in two parts.  First, works from circa 1430 to c. 1530, and then works from c. 1550 to circa 1635.  I did not spend time in the galleries featuring works made in the 1700's.  Another visit, another day.

A family was two young daughters visited the gallery with the huge crucifix at the same time as I was there.  One of the little girls asked, "Why the man so green?"

Looking up, the mother replied, "Because he's dying."

The Funeral of Saint Francis of Assisi, c. 1430

Bartolomeo di Tommaso (Italian) 

active 1425 - 1455

Lots of Madonnas with Child--and I thought anyone of these would make excellent Christmas postage stamps.  My favorite of the quartet below.

Madonna and Child with Angels, 1459 - 1460

Giorgio Schiavone (Italian)

1433 - 1504

Saint Jerome, circa 1520

Bartolome Ordonez and Workshop (Spanish)

circa 1485 - 1520