Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant Saint John the Baptist

Jacques Blanchard's Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant Saint John from around 1628 represents the French Baroque painter known as the "French Titian" for his Venetian-influenced colorism. Blanchard spent three years in Venice absorbing the warm palette and sensuous brushwork of Titian and Veronese, bringing these qualities back to Paris where they offered an alternative to the dominant classicism of Poussin and Vouet.

Blanchard's oil-on-canvas technique demonstrates his Venetian-influenced approach with warm, rich coloring and soft, blended brushwork. The luminous flesh tones and flowing draperies create the sensuous warmth that earned him the "French Titian" sobriquet.