Artwork
Virgin and Child with St. John
Virgin and Child with St. John is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Luini Bernardino. It dates from 1529 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Virgin and Child with St.
About this work
Overview
Virgin and Child with St. John is a 1529 painting by Bernardino Luini, a northern Italian artist influenced by the High Renaissance. The work features the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint John the Baptist in a composition characteristic of the Mannerist tradition.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts an intimate scene of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child on her lap and a young Saint John the Baptist standing beside her. The interaction between the figures, with Mary reaching toward John and the Christ Child looking back at him, conveys a sense of tender connection among them.
Technique & Style
Luini, working within Leonardo da Vinci's circle, incorporated elements of Leonardo's style, notably in the graceful, elongated forms of the figures. The painting showcases a masterful use of chiaroscuro, blending light and dark to achieve a pronounced three-dimensional effect.
History & Provenance
Created in 1529, the painting is now part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/82 – June 1532) was a north Italian painter from Leonardo's circle during the High Renaissance. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he…
