A sublime example of the Renaissance painter Cima da Conegliano's production at the close of the 15th century, this painting shows the Madonna watching carefully over the Christ child, whose feet are perched on both his mother's left hand and her right leg. The mother gazes at her child, who looks back at her. While the two figures feature prominently in the foreground of the canvas, the background—with its architectural details, bucolic scenery, rolling hills, and open sky—is also a significant figure in the plane. A small hill town can be seen behind the Madonna and child; it may be the painter's own hometown of Conegliano, Italy. The painter also tells stories from Mary's life, including the Flight into Egypt and the Visitation, which are illustrated on the left.

Cima's works are well represented in most major museums, however, they're extremely rare to find. The rediscovery of Madonna and Child in a Landscape, hidden for many years in a private German collection, was hailed as a major event in the art world. The artist ranks among the most important Renaissance painters in Venice. Cima focused mostly on religious subjects—indeed, his body of work consists almost exclusively on representations of the Madonna and child—and held a key position between the influential Bellini family and the world of Giorgione and Titian.

Madonna and Child in a Landscape is currently on view on the third floor of the Ahmanson Building. Check out LACMA's Collections Online and download a free high-resolution image.

This year marks LACMA's 50th anniversary. We're celebrating all that we've done while looking forward to what's in store for us in the next 50. Check back every week on Unframed to find a highlight of an artwork from LACMA's collection, which features over 120,000 objects that span time, the globe, and all cultures. This is 3/50 of the series. This text is adapted from the Collections Online website.