Who painted Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John?

Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John was painted by Cristofano Robetta in 1510.

Where can I see Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John?

Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John?

Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John

Cristofano Robetta , 1510

Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John is a print by the Renaissance artist Cristofano Robetta. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This early sixteenth‑century engraving presents a seated Virgin holding the infant Christ, attended by two young boys.

About this work

You can see more like this from the same place and time by exploring 16th century, italy.

A woman sits with a baby on her lap. Two children look up at her. One holds a small cross. The scene feels quiet and close.

The artist copied parts from another painter’s work. He used their figures but made the scene his own. This was common at the time — artists often borrowed from each other.

The print was made in Italy around 1500. It shows how ideas spread between artists. You can see more like this from the same place and time by exploring 16th century, italy.

Overview

This early sixteenth‑century engraving presents a seated Virgin holding the infant Christ, attended by two young boys. One child, identified as the infant Saint John, looks upward while grasping a modest cross. The composition conveys an intimate, contemplative atmosphere, with the figures rendered in delicate line work that emphasizes the quiet interaction between mother and children.

Technique & Style

The print draws directly from a tondo painted by Florentine artist Filippino Lippi, whose Holy Family served as the primary visual model. While the central trio—Virgin, Christ, and John—are retained, Robetta substitutes the original accompanying figures of Saints Margaret and Joseph with angelic forms, thereby reshaping the narrative focus while preserving Lippi’s compositional framework.

Context

Created in Florence around 1500, the engraving exemplifies the period’s practice of inter‑artist borrowing, wherein engravers reproduced and reinterpreted painted compositions for broader dissemination. This exchange facilitated the spread of visual ideas across media and regions, contributing to the shared visual vocabulary of the Italian Renaissance.

Artist & collection

Artist

Cristofano Robetta

Cristofano Robetta (1462 – 1535) was an Italian artist, goldsmith, and engraver. Robetta was a Florentine "who made some rich, intricate engravings in the fine manner". He often made engravings which replicated…