Artwork
Adoration of the Virgin and Child by Saint John the Baptist and Saint Catherine
Adoration of the Virgin and Child by Saint John the Baptist and Saint Catherine is a tempera painting by Gherardo Starnina. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Created around the year 1400, this tempera panel portrays the Virgin Mary seated on a cloud, cradling the infant Christ.
About this work
Overview
Created around the year 1400, this tempera panel portrays the Virgin Mary seated on a cloud, cradling the infant Christ. Flanking the central figures are Saint John the Baptist on the left and Saint Catherine of Alexandria on the right, each rendered with regal attire. The composition is set against a luminous gold ground, emphasizing the sacred encounter.
Subject & Meaning
The work brings together two prominent intercessors—John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, and Catherine, a learned martyr—offering them as witnesses to the divine motherhood. Their crowns and sumptuous robes underscore their sanctified status, while the Virgin’s blue mantle and golden crown highlight her heavenly authority, reinforcing the theological theme of veneration.
Technique & Style
Executed in egg tempera, the painting displays the fine, linear brushwork typical of late medieval Italian art. The gold leaf background creates a radiant, non‑spatial setting, while the vivid coloration—blue, red, orange—provides contrast. The figures are delineated with precise outlines, and the ornamental details at the lower edge reflect the decorative sensibility of the period.
History & Provenance
The panel is attributed to Gherardo Starnina, a Florentine artist who trained with Antonio Veneziano and Agnolo Gaddi before relocating to Spain under royal commission in 1380. After its creation, the work entered the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, where it remains part of the museum’s medieval holdings.
Context
Starnina’s career bridges the Gothic traditions of Tuscany and the emerging International Gothic style that spread across Europe. The inclusion of both a local saint (John the Baptist) and a widely venerated martyr (Catherine) reflects the devotional practices of the time, while the opulent gold background aligns with contemporary preferences for luxurious, liturgical imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gherardo Starnina (c. 1360–1413) was an Italian painter from Florence in the Quattrocento era. According to the biographer Giorgio Vasari, Starnina initially trained with Antonio Veneziano, then with Agnolo Gaddi. He is…
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