In Room 2 of its Renaissance Rediscovered display (which, despite the name, covers medieval to baroque art), the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool has hung a delightful and varied selection of images of the Madonna and Child. Dating from the 15th to the 17th centuries, and covering Italy, Spain and the low countries, each work offers a subtly different interpretation of the relationship between mother and son. Together, they provide intriguing insights into the importance of these key figures not just for the church but also the population as a whole.

Rather than rushing through these beautiful works, and lumping them together with the other paintings in the room, I realised this would be a good opportunity to examine the genre further. The talk will also look at some of the paintings from Rooms 1 and 2 which I have not yet had a chance to consider. In addition to the central focus on mother and son, these additional works also include members of the 'extended family' - mothers, cousins, step-sisters, husbands and in-laws. An understanding of these paintings, and the way they relate to one another,  will help to clarify the profusion of figures we see in religious art - the regular presence of the 'extended family', in turn, confirming the central importance of The Virgin and Child.