Artwork
Madonna with Child and Saints
Madonna with Child and Saints is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Ludovico Mazzolino. It dates from 1522 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Ludovico Mazzolino’s *Madonna with Child and Saints* (1522) is an oil painting that presently hangs in the Uffizi Gallery. The composition gathers five figures within an interior space framed by a golden arch, rendered in warm reds, blues, greens and gold. The central figure, a serene woman in blue, cradles an infant, while surrounding saints and a bearded man observe the scene.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, accompanied by Saint Joachim, Saint John the Evangelist, and two other saints distinguished by their red and green garments. The gathering suggests a devotional tableau that emphasizes the familial and intercessory roles of the saints, inviting contemplation of the Incarnation and the lineage of Christ.
Technique & Style
Mazzolino employs oil on panel to achieve a luminous surface, using chiaroscuro to model the figures and suggest depth. The golden arch behind the group acts as a luminous backdrop, while the rich, detailed drapery showcases the artist’s attention to texture and color harmonies typical of early 16th‑century Ferrarese painting.
History & Provenance
Created in 1522, the painting reflects Mazzolino’s mature period while he was active in Ferrara and Bologna. It entered the Uffizi’s collection during the 18th century as part of the Medici‑Savoy acquisitions, and has remained there, catalogued among the museum’s Italian Renaissance holdings.
Context
The composition aligns with the early Baroque tendencies emerging in northern Italy, where religious subjects were rendered with heightened emotional presence and vivid coloration. Mazzolino’s choice of a domestic interior and intimate interaction among the figures mirrors contemporary devotional trends that sought to bring sacred narratives closer to the viewer’s experience.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ludovico Mazzolino (1480 – c. 1528) - also known as Mazzolini da Ferrara, Lodovico Ferraresa, and Il Ferrarese - was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Ferrara and Bologna.
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