Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist
Artist
Sassoferrato
(Italian, 1609-1685, active in Rome)
Datelate 1650s
CultureItalian
MediumOil on canvas
ClassificationPaintings
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN127
Sassoferrato specialized in extremely polished renderings of the Madonna and Child. These works are generally characterized by highly saturated colors, tightly contained figural groupings, and sculptural treatment of drapery. This painting style was supported by the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation. Reminiscent of the Madonnas painted by Raphael, Sassoferrato's works also appealed to a nostalgia for the symmetry and clarity of Renaissance painting. A similar painting of a Madonna and Child is visible in the background of Sassofferato's Portrait of a Cardinal, displayed in the adjacent gallery.
On View
On viewLocation
DimensionsImage: 35 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. (90.2 x 72.4 cm)- Museum of Art, Gallery 09, Wall West
Frame: 46 1/2 × 39 1/4 in. (118.1 × 99.7 cm)
Domenico Ghirlandaio and Workshop
c. 1500
