Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist, Saint Cecilia, and Angels
Piero di Cosimo·c. 1505
Historical Context
Piero di Cosimo assembled this complex devotional composition around 1505, bringing together the Virgin and Child with the young Saint John the Baptist, Saint Cecilia, and attending angels. Piero di Cosimo was one of Florence's most eccentric and inventive painters, a student of Cosimo Rosselli known for his imaginative mythological scenes and unconventional religious compositions. The inclusion of Saint Cecilia, patron of music, suggests a commission connected to a musical confraternity.
Technical Analysis
The oil-on-panel technique shows Piero di Cosimo's characteristic blend of Florentine draftsmanship with Flemish-influenced atmospheric effects. The figures are arranged in a pyramidal composition with soft modeling and warm, jewel-like colors.
Provenance
Private collection, Scotland; acquired by Madame Miriam Gilou-Cendrars and her husband, Albert Gilou, early 1930s; Gilou-Cendrars collection, France; sold Roubaix, France, J. Mercier, J. Velliet, D. Thullier, F. Issaly, June 18, 1989, lot 84; bought by Richard L. Feigen Co., New York; sold to the Art Institute, 2007.
