Artwork

The Virgin and Child with Sts John the Baptist, Francis and James the Great

The Virgin and Child with Sts John the Baptist, Francis and James the Great is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Ermanno Stroiffi. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1652, this oil painting brings together the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ and three saints—John the Baptist, Francis of Assisi, and James the Great. Executed during the early Italian Baroque, the work is now part of the Ashmolean Museum’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure, the Virgin, holds the naked Christ child while a dark robe and a lighter mantle frame her. To her left, John the Baptist, dressed in a plain brown habit, gazes upward, while Francis stands to the right with outstretched hands, and James the Great appears partially behind, completing a devotional grouping that emphasizes intercession and sanctity.

Technique & Style

Stroiffi employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, allowing light to carve out volume against a subdued background. The contrast of illuminated flesh and draped fabrics creates a sense of depth, while the restrained palette and gentle gestures convey a calm, reverent atmosphere typical of early Baroque religious art.

History & Provenance

Ermanno Stroiffi, a priest‑painter trained under Bernardo Strozzi, produced the canvas while active in Venice and Padua. After changing hands over the centuries, it entered the Ashmolean Museum, where it remains on display as a representative example of Stroiffi’s devotional output.