Artwork

The Virgin and Child with St Anne, donors and Sts Francis and Lidwina

Master of the St. John's Altarpiece , 1500

The Virgin and Child with St Anne, donors and Sts Francis and Lidwina is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the St. John's Altarpiece. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Created around 1500, this oil painting attributed to the Master of the St.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1500, this oil painting attributed to the Master of the St. John’s Altarpiece presents a devotional grouping centred on the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and measures the typical dimensions of a late‑Renaissance altarpiece, combining sacred figures with the portraiture of contemporary patrons.

Subject & Meaning

At the heart of the composition the Virgin sits on a throne, cradling a book, while Saint Anne, her mother, holds the infant Jesus. Flanking the throne, Saint Francis and Saint Lidwina stand as intercessors, and two kneeling donors are shown in prayer, linking the earthly and heavenly realms through a shared act of devotion.

Technique & Style

The painter employs a rich palette of reds, greens, and golds to model space and texture. Fine brushwork renders the intricate folds of garments and the nuanced expressions of each figure, while subtle chiaroscuro gives depth to the interior setting. The overall handling reflects the Northern Renaissance’s attention to detail and material realism.

History & Provenance

The work was produced for a private or ecclesiastical commission in the early sixteenth century, likely intended for a chapel altar. It entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings in the twentieth century, where it has been catalogued as an example of the Master of the St. John’s Altarpiece’s oeuvre, contributing to the museum’s representation of Netherlandish religious painting.