The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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The Virgin looks away as the infant Christ leans forward to touch his cousin Saint John the Baptist under the chin. The presence of the infant Saint John suggests the influence of Florentine art, as he is rare in Venetian art before this date. There are several versions of this design which may date from around 1506, when Catena was in partnership with Giorgione.An X-ray image of a painting believed to be a self portrait by Giorgione in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig, has revealed another earlier picture beneath the paint layers. It is a Virgin and Child similar in design to the National Gallery's painting, which also includes the Christ Child’s very unusual pose and gesture. It may be that Christ’s pose was Giorgione's idea.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist

Date

about 1506-15

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 72.4 x W 57.2 cm

Accession number

NG3540

Acquisition method

presented by Alfred de Pass, 1920

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

View venue