Artwork

Madonna and Child in Glory appearing to St Stephen and three other Saints

Madonna and Child in Glory appearing to St Stephen and three other Saints is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Corrado Giaquinto. It dates from 1763 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.

About this work

Overview

Corrado Giaquinto’s 1763 oil on canvas, titled *Madonna and Child in Glory appearing to St Stephen and three other Saints*, is part of the Scottish National Gallery’s collection. The composition centers on the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, set against a luminous sky, while four saints observe the divine encounter from the foreground.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts the Virgin enthroned with the Christ child, their forms illuminated by a golden halo and soft light. Around them, Saint Stephen and three additional holy figures—one kneeling, another with outstretched arms—gaze upward, suggesting reverence and the transmission of divine grace to the earthly realm.

Technique & Style

Giaquinto employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, juxtaposing bright, sunlit areas with deep shadows to heighten the three‑dimensionality of the figures. The sky glows in a warm yellow, populated by airy clouds and cherubic forms, while the Virgin’s blue robe and the infant’s white swaddling cloth provide contrasting color accents.

History & Provenance

Painted in the mid‑eighteenth century, the canvas entered the Scottish National Gallery’s holdings at an unspecified later date, where it remains on display. Its attribution to Giaquinto, a leading Italian Rococo painter, has been consistently affirmed by museum records and scholarly catalogues.

Context

Created during the late Rococo period, the painting reflects the era’s preference for graceful, theatrical religious scenes that combine devotional content with decorative elegance. Giaquinto’s Italian training and his work for ecclesiastical patrons inform the composition’s blend of spiritual narrative and dynamic visual movement.