Artwork
Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Pontormo. It dates from 1529 and is held in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. The work depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ and a young Saint John the Baptist, rendered in oil on panel.
About this work
This painting is called Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist. It's an oil paint work.
The painting has been dated to different time periods by art historians. Some think it was made between 1534 and 1536, while others believe it was created earlier, between 1529 and 1530.
You can learn more about the artist who made this work by looking up the artist: Pontormo.
Overview
The work depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ and a young Saint John the Baptist, rendered in oil on panel. It resides in the Uffizi Gallery, where a preparatory drawing for the composition is also kept in the museum’s print and drawing department.
Subject & Meaning
The intimate grouping presents the traditional Christian trio, with John the Baptist rendered as a youthful figure whose pose and expression echo contemporary interpretations of the saint, emphasizing his role as a precursor to Christ.
Technique & Style
Pontormo employs the fluid, elongated forms characteristic of his early Mannerist phase, drawing compositional inspiration from Michelangelo’s Medici Madonna. The palette and soft modeling convey a delicate atmosphere while maintaining a sculptural presence.
History & Provenance
According to Vasari, Pontorma offered a similar composition to the bricklayer Rossino as payment for work on his house, a project begun in 1529 and completed around 1534–1535; scholars identify this as the Uffizi painting. It later entered the collection of Alessandro di Ottaviano de’ Medici before passing to the Grand Dukes of Tuscany.
Context
The painting’s dating is debated: some scholars place it between 1534 and 1536, while others, following Antonio Natali, argue for an earlier execution around 1529–1530, reflecting Pontormo’s transitional period between Florentine Renaissance influences and his mature Mannerist style.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Carucci or Carrucci (IPA: ; May 24, 1494 – January 2, 1557), usually known as Jacopo (da) Pontormo or simply Pontormo (IPA: ), was an Italian Mannerist painter and portraitist from the Florentine School.
Madonna and Child with John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with Saint John The Baptist
The Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with Young St John
Madonna and Child with The Infant Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
Madonna and Child with the Young St. John the Baptist