Located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Filippino Lippi’s beautiful “Madonna and Child” was painted around 1485 for the fabulously wealthy Filippo Strozzi, whose coat of arms is visible on the column capitals and between the arches. The painting was most likely intended to decorate the Villa Strozzi, which appears in the left background. Mary’s beauty is only matched by the dazzling ultramarine blue of her robe. The Christ child instead playfully turns the pages of the book, while the book and candlestick holder on the right clearly demonstrate his knowledge of Flemish painting. Buona visione!