Artwork
Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome, John the ...
Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome, John the ... is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Sano di Pietro. It dates from 1450 and is held in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1450 by the Sienese painter Sano di Pietro, this panel presents the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, flanked by two saints. The work is part of the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑fourteenth‑century devotional art.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre, the Madonna is shown in a blue mantle and a golden veil, cradling the Christ Child. To either side stand Saint Jerome, identifiable by his scholarly attire, and the youthful Saint John the Baptist, recognizable by his simple garb and gesture of reverence. The grouping underscores intercessory prayer and the saints’ roles as mediators between the faithful and the divine.
Technique & Style
The composition is set against a flat gold ground, a common feature in Italian religious panels that conveys a timeless, heavenly space. Sano employs delicate modeling of faces and drapery, while the vivid blue of the Virgin’s robe contrasts with the surrounding gold, emphasizing her status. Fine linear details outline the saints’ features and the intricate ornamental patterns in the background.
History & Provenance
The painting has remained in private and institutional hands before entering the Art Gallery of New South Wales, where it was acquired as part of the museum’s European holdings. Its attribution to Sano di Pietro is based on stylistic analysis linking it to his known oeuvre from the mid‑fifteenth century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sano di Pietro or Ansano di Pietro di Mencio (1405–1481) was an Italian painter of the Sienese school of painting.
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