Grace Weaver on Dirk Bouts' 'Madonna and Child': A Painter's Encounter

In a personal reflection for Monopol, American painter Grace Weaver shares her admiration for Dirk Bouts' 1456 painting 'Madonna and Child' (Maria met Kind), housed in the National Gallery in London. Weaver describes a favored route through Soho and into the gallery's Sainsbury Wing, where the painting is displayed. She notes that while tourists crowd around the opulent 'Arnolfini Portrait' in the first room, the left side of the wing, where pale and peculiar northern Madonnas are exhibited, remains relatively deserted. Weaver finds a captivating tenderness in the face of the Madonna, which she elaborates on in her essay. The piece is part of Monopol Plus, a subscription service offering access to all articles on monopol-magazin.de, with a free trial month followed by a monthly fee of €4.90. The article is available to subscribers.