Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
Sandro Botticelli·c. 1490
Historical Context
Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist (c. 1490) by Botticelli dates from the artist's late period, when the influence of Savonarola's preaching was transforming Florentine art. The intimate devotional format of the Madonna with the infant Baptist was extremely popular in Florence, where John the Baptist was the city's patron saint. Botticelli's late religious works show a more austere, spiritually intense quality than his earlier, more sensuous paintings.
Technical Analysis
Botticelli's tempera and oil technique on wood creates a refined, devotional surface. The figures are rendered with his characteristic flowing, calligraphic line, though the mood is more solemn than his earlier works. The careful modeling and harmonious composition demonstrate the enduring skill of the aging master.
Provenance
Robert Hoe III [1839-1909], New York, NY, after his death, held in trust by his estate1; (Hoe sale, American Art Association, New York, Feb. 15, 1911, to Arthur Hoe); Arthur I. Hoe [1880-1956], Bedford Hills, NY 1; (Ehrich Galleries, New York) 1; Baron Michele Lazzaroni [1863-1934], Rome 1; (Guglielmo Canessa, Milan, Italy) 1; Private collection, Milan 1; (Iolanda d'Antoni, Lugano, Switzerland, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
