Artwork
Virgin and Child Adored by the Infant St John
Virgin and Child Adored by the Infant St John is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1512, this oil on panel by Lucas Cranach the Elder portrays a tender family scene central to Christian iconography. The work is part of the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display as an example of early 16th‑century devotional painting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition brings together the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus, and the young Saint John the Baptist. Mary cradles the naked Christ, whose hand clasps a modest sprig of foliage, while the youthful John reaches toward the pair, symbolising his future role as the forerunner of the Messiah.
Technique & Style
Cranach employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, illuminating Mary’s face and the children against a deep, unmodelled background. The contrast of the bright red dress and blue sash with the surrounding darkness creates a three‑dimensional effect, while the delicate rendering of hair and fabric demonstrates the artist’s precise brushwork.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings in the early 20th century, having previously been part of private collections in northern Europe. Its attribution to Cranach the Elder has been confirmed through stylistic analysis and archival documentation linking the work to his workshop in Wittenberg.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
