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The Virgin is seated on a plinth, with her head inclined slightly downwards and turned three-quarter profile to the right. On the left the Child stands on a fold of the Virgin's drapery spread over the top of the plinth. The Virgin appears to restrain the Christ Child's movement by holding his right arm as he takes a step towards the viewer. It was a common practice for worshippers at a statue of the Virgin to kiss her foot. This may explain why the left foot is here extended and exposed.
The group is documented as being executed for the church of the Madonna dell'Arsenale, Venice, in 1578.
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