Artwork
Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John
Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Juan de Borgoña. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Created in 1515, this oil painting presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ, accompanied by the youthful Saint John the Baptist.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1515, this oil painting presents the Virgin Mary cradling the infant Christ, accompanied by the youthful Saint John the Baptist. The composition is anchored by a serene landscape that recedes into a luminous sky, while the figures occupy the foreground with a calm, balanced arrangement.
Subject & Meaning
Mary is depicted in a blue mantle, holding an open book that the Christ child reaches toward, a motif suggesting the future revelation of divine wisdom. The small Saint John, seated at her side, gazes upward, emphasizing his role as the future forerunner of Christ.
Technique & Style
The work exemplifies the High Renaissance emphasis on harmonious proportion and refined drawing. Borgoña employs a rich palette of deep blues, reds, and golds for the figures, contrasted with softer, atmospheric tones in the distant landscape, creating a sense of depth and tranquility.
History & Provenance
Juan de Borgóña, a Burgundian-born painter active in Spain between 1495 and 1536, produced this piece during his mature period. It entered the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, where it remains on display.
Context
The painting reflects the cross‑cultural influences of Borgóña’s Burgundian origins and his Spanish career, integrating the balanced compositional strategies of the Italian High Renaissance with local devotional iconography.
Artist & collection
Artist
Juan de Borgoña (c. 1470–1536), was a High Renaissance painter who was born in the Duchy of Burgundy, probably just before it ceased to exist as an independent state, and was active in Spain from about 1495 to 1536. His…
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