Artwork
Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Lorenzo di Credi. It dates from 1495 and is held in the collection of the Galleria Borghese. Executed in oil in 1495, this work shows the Virgin seated with the infant Christ and the young Saint John the Baptist.
About this work
Overview
Executed in oil in 1495, this work shows the Virgin seated with the infant Christ and the young Saint John the Baptist. The figures occupy a tranquil interior that opens onto a distant landscape of trees, a river and mountains, creating a balanced visual field typical of late‑15th‑century Florentine painting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents the traditional devotional theme of Mary with her son, accompanied by the future forerunner of Christ. The inclusion of the nude infants emphasizes their innocence and divine nature, while the proximity of John the Baptist hints at his role as the herald of Jesus.
Technique & Style
The artist renders the Virgin’s blue mantle with careful modeling, allowing the folds to suggest volume and the play of light across fabric. A restrained palette of blues, whites and earth tones unifies the scene, and the soft transitions between figures and background reveal a concern for naturalistic detail and harmonious proportion.
History & Provenance
Created by Lorenzo di Credi, a Florentine painter who trained in Andrea del Verrocchio’s workshop alongside Leonardo, the painting entered the collection of the Galleria Borghese in Rome, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s Renaissance holdings.
Context
The work reflects the High Renaissance interest in compositional equilibrium and the revival of classical ideals within religious imagery. Its subject matter aligns with contemporary devotional practices, while the landscape background illustrates the period’s growing attention to integrating figures within a coherent, natural world.
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
