"Madonna at Bruges"

Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, constructed in Italy and sent to Belgium in 1504, is unlike any other depiction. It depicts a mother who is upset by what will happen to her son, rather than a loving and caring mother staring at her child.

The movement of the drapery and the chiaroscuro effect are reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Pietà, which was completed shortly before Madonna and Child. Mary’s long, oval face is reminiscent of the Pietà.

During the French Revolution and World War II, forces stole and hid Michelangelo’s Madonna; it was later recovered and restored to Belgium, where it currently rests in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium.