Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John
Follower of Agnolo Bronzino, Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John, 1540/1560, oil on poplar wood, Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, public domain, 61.48
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John
- Artist
- Date
1540/1560
- Period
Late Renaissance (mid-late 16th century)
- Medium
oil on poplar wood
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
40 3/8 in x 31 1/2 in
- Collection Area
European Art
- Category
Paintings
- Object Type
painting
- Culture
Italian
- Credit Line
Gift of The Samuel H. Kress Foundation
- Accession Number
61.48
- Copyright
public domain
- Terms
The importance of the meeting between Christ and John the Baptist as adults led artists to envision a meeting between the two as children. Here, the exchange between them enacts a prophecy: Christ steps heroically forward to accept the cross that he will later bear to Calvary as the lamb of sacrifice.
Considered the principal master of Florentine Mannerism, Bronzino created an art distinctive for its courtly stylishness, sophisticated compositions, and the elegant, often improbable postures of its figures. The artist's example dominated Florentine style in the mid-sixteenth century and this work was made by a close follower, perhaps under his supervision.
