Who painted The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John?

The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John was painted by Lorenzo di Credi in 1508.

Where can I see The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John?

The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John is held by Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

What movement is The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John?

The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John is associated with High Renaissance.

Artwork

The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John

Lorenzo di Credi , 1508

The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John is a paint painting by the High Renaissance artist Lorenzo di Credi. It dates from 1508 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Overview

Lorenzo di Credi, a Florentine painter and sculptor active in the early sixteenth century, produced the work titled *The Virgin and Child with the Young St. John* around 1508. The panel is circular, its upper edge trimmed, and today belongs to the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents the Virgin Mary kneeling in prayer, her hands clasped, while the infant Christ lies on a red cloth beside her. A youthful John the Baptist, identifiable by the reed cross he holds, gazes upward toward the child, underscoring the theological link between the two saints.

Technique & Style

Executed in tempera or oil on panel, the painting employs a restrained palette of muted blues, yellows, and earthy browns. Di Credi’s handling of light and soft modeling reflects the influence of his training in Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop, where he worked alongside contemporaries such as Leonardo da Vinci.

History & Provenance

Created during the High Renaissance, the work remained in private hands before entering the Berlin Gemäldegalerie’s holdings in the twentieth century. Its provenance prior to museum acquisition is not extensively documented.

Context

The intimate grouping of Mary, the infant Christ, and the young John follows a well‑established devotional motif of the period, intended for private contemplation. The background landscape, with trees, hills and a distant castle, situates the holy figures within a serene, idealized world.

Artist & collection

Artist

Lorenzo di Credi

Lorenzo di Credi (1456/59 – January 12, 1537) was an Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor best known for his paintings of religious subjects, and portraits.