Madonna and Child, Saint Agnes and another saint in a hortus conclusus

The idea of the hortus conclusus, or enclosed garden, was remarkably popular during the Renaissance. It was perceived as a space both real, imaginary and metaphorical, and its representation in art was frequently invested with spiritual meaning. Its origins lie in the Song of Songs 4:12: ‘Hortus conclusus soror mea, hortus conclusus, fons signatus’ (‘My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up’); the book was re-interpreted by Christian theologians, such as Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, as a specific celebration of the Virgin and her relationship with Christ. It established the notion of the hortus conclusus as a sacred place, and more specifically as a symbol of virginity that was inseparable, in fact, from the Virgin herself. Artists during the Renaissance would use the enclosed garden, and its rich symbolism, as a setting for scenes from the Virgin’s life.

The hortus conclusus shown in this charming, and intriguing, panel, taking the form of a courtyard garden surrounded by a colonnade, includes some typical features of a Renaissance garden, notably in the ordered group of raised flower beds, where strawberry plants grow, and an early example of topiary, with foliage pruned to form the shape of a boat (lower left). It is a place of contemplation, the garden tended to perfection. It pointedly includes, too, other established Christian symbols: the saint sewing (to the right) alludes to the moment when Gabriel visits the Virgin as she is busy sewing, subsequently considered an appropriately pious task. The peacock, meanwhile, is frequently shown in scenes of the Nativity, a symbol of immortality and a reminder of the Resurrection. The artist, perhaps a miniaturist here painting on a larger scale, may have worked in one of the artistic centres in central northern Italy in the late fifteenth century, perhaps around Ferrara or Mantua, given the elements reminiscent of Giovanni Francesco Maineri (1460-1535).