Artwork
Enthroned Madonna with Child and Saints
Enthroned Madonna with Child and Saints is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Paris Bordone. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Paris Bordone, a Venetian painter who studied under Titian, completed the oil painting *Enthroned Madonna with Child and Saints* in 1530. Executed in the Mannerist style, the work is part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is the Virgin Mary seated on a throne, cradling the infant Christ. Flanking her are two saints: Saint Fabian, shown in white, and Saint Sebastian, recognizable by the arrows embedded in his partially exposed body. Two small children appear on the steps, adding a devotional narrative.
Technique & Style
Bordone employs the elongated forms and sophisticated composition typical of Mannerism, balancing a rich palette of pinks, greens, and blues. The figures are rendered with delicate modeling, while the background features a clear sky populated by angels, enhancing the painting’s ethereal atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Since its creation in the early sixteenth century, the painting has remained in European collections, eventually entering the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Venetian holdings.
Context
The inclusion of Saint Sebastian, a martyr often depicted with arrows, reflects Counter‑Reformation devotional trends that emphasized intercessory saints. Bordone’s choice to pair him with Saint Fabian, a pope‑martyr, underscores themes of ecclesiastical authority and protection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paris Bordone (Paris Paschalinus Bordone; 5 July 1500 – 19 January 1571) was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of Mannerist complexity and provincial vigor.
