Mary feeding Jesus Grapes

When I first started the food page, I had found this image of Mary feeding Jesus grapes:

Later I found another one, on a Christmas card. It's an early 16th century painting by Gerard David, and is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

I never heard of "Gerard David" until a couple of days ago, but I know he had a basket, because he used it in another painting too.

Clicking might bring a larger image; some will go to a more detailed file you can zoom in on.

Another bunch of purple grapes, and another cool basket:

I don't know who painted this one but will dig around a bit someday if someone who doesn't already know doesn't just tell me.

I found two with pears and one with an angel offering what looked like apricots or maybe small oranges, still on a little branch. The grapes were more interesting to me, though. I used to feed grapes to babies. Not whole (sheesh, no!) but bite half off, gently squish the other half between fingers and let the baby suck the juice or eat the mushed part (depending on the age and interest of the baby), maybe without the skin (depending on the grape and all of the above).





Grapes not necessarily being eaten in this one:

Madonna in der Weinlaube by Lukas Cranach the Elder

Another by Gerard David. This is just the grape-eating detail from a larger painting.

The same pose of mother-and-child-with-grapes is in two paintings (at least). This is The Cervara Polyptic, 1507, where Jesus has a very subtle halo; the same grapes and pose and all, different surroundings, is in Virgin among the Virgins, c. 1509.


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