The Prado Museum is hosting the exhibition 'In the Manner of Italy. Spain and the Mediterranean Gothic (1320-1420)' until September 20, which includes a notable piece from the heritage of the diocese of Córdoba: the polyptych 'The Virgin of the Milk'.
This work, executed in tempera on panel and measuring 165 by 283 centimeters, is attributed to Pedro de Córdoba and dates from the 14th century. It is usually displayed at the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.
The polyptych has undergone restoration by the Prado Museum due to its conservation status. Its inclusion in the exhibition highlights its artistic value and its significance as a key element in the diffusion of Italianism in the southern Kingdom of Castile in the late Middle Ages.
The exhibition, curated by Joan Molina Figueras, Head of the European Painting Collection until 1500, brings together over a hundred works from 31 Spanish and 25 foreign institutions. It showcases the Italian influence on Spanish Gothic art through paintings, sculptures, goldsmithing, manuscripts, drawings, embroideries, and silk fabrics.
The central panel, the 'Virgin of the Milk', depicts Mary breastfeeding her Son. The artist included the donors, Alfonso de Montemayor and his wife Juana Martínez, presented by Saint Ildefonsus and Saint Bernard, alongside two angels and saints such as Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Catherine, and Saint Francis of Assisi.
