Madonna and Child with the Infant St. John

Rosso Fiorentino, one of the founders of Florentine Mannerism, created this Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John around 1515. Even in his early career, Rosso's unconventional approach to color, form, and expression marked him as a revolutionary talent who would challenge the classical ideals of the High Renaissance. The tempera medium required careful preparation on a gessoed panel and a disciplined layering technique that produced precise, durable surfaces suited to the intricate detail expected of devotional painting.

The panel reveals Rosso's early Mannerist tendencies with unusually vivid color combinations, angular forms, and the psychological intensity that distinguishes his devotional works from conventional Florentine production.