Two hearts entwined, two souls set free, In secret love that none could see. Their hands did touch, their lips did meet, A passion pure, a love so sweet. The world outside was harsh and cold, But in each other's arms they'd hold. Their love forbidden by the law, Yet still they loved with all they saw. They wrote each other tender notes, And whispered secrets as they dote. Their love was true, their love was real, A flame that burned with endless zeal. Though society would not condone, Their love for each other had grown. They lived in shadows, but it was enough, For in each other's arms they found love.
Giorgio di Tomaso Schiavone (Dalmatian, ca. 1433-1504), Madonna and Child with Angels, between 1459 and 1460.
In this altarpiece, the Virgin Mary wears gold brocade with pearls, and the Christ Child, with his necklace of red coral, stands on a tasseled cushion. Through these precious materials, the painter has communicated the divinity of the figures. On the parapet at the bottom of the painting is a carnation. Its Greek name, dianthus, means "flower of God."
Schiavone uses the vibrant color of coral throughout this painting and portrays the baby Jesus as wearing a coral necklace and pendant. Having these figures draped in luscious fabrics and fine gemstones set them apart and was a way to depict to the viewer how divine the figures were.
Children were gifted branches and strands of coral beads to wear as a form of mystical protection against evil. Once the child grew up and their strand of beads became too short, they might double the strand and wear it as a bracelet.
Schiavone was born in Dalmatia (present-day Croatia) and immigrated to northern Italy, where he studied with Francesco Squarcione of Padua. On the cartellino (little paper) in the foreground, he proudly identifies himself as the disciple of this master. Like his contemporaries, Schiavone was concerned with reviving the arts of antiquity, as seen by the garlands at the top that imitate Roman sarcophagus reliefs.