La Madonna del Parto is a painting that was created in the year 1467 by Italian masterful artist, Piero Della Francesca, for the patronage of Federico III da Montefeltro. The artwork currently resides in the Museo della Madonna del Parto situated in Monterchi, Tuscany. The painting displays a pregnant Virgin Mary with her baby Jesus cradled between her and a loosely-clothed woman.
This painting exudes intensity and portrays Mary in her giving state, surrounded by powerful figures from both The New and Old Testament. Alongside Mary’s legs lies the biblical figure Tobias, representing life’s will to protect its mother against anything that seeks to do it harm. Piero used various techniques to create an illusion of depth which gives Madonna Del Parto a sense of timelessness.
The balanced perspective also gives an impression of spiritual enlightenment while conveying divine gracefulness to the viewer. With his precise hands and a mastery full of harmony, Piero Della Francesca successfully captured a momentous occasion alongside its principal protagonists – The Virgin Mary, her small son Jesus and Tobias from the Bible – immersed in spectacularly-framed scenery. To his left (1465-66), lies another well-known masterpiece – Resurrection – also crafted by Piero Della Francesca during this period.
