Probably by Vincenzo Catena, 'The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John', about 1506-15
About the work
Overview
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 painting is very damaged, particularly down the centre of the panel. The Virgin’s blue mantle, which is painted over red underpaint, and Saint John the Baptist’s green tunic are the only parts still in reasonably good condition.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
- Artist
- Probably by Vincenzo Catena
- Artist dates
- active 1506 - 1531
- Date made
- about 1506-15
- Medium and support
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- 72.4 × 57.2 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Presented by Alfred A. de Pass, 1920
- Inventory number
- NG3540
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Cecil Gould, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Italian Schools’, London 1987; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1959Gould, Cecil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Venetian School, London 1959
-
1987Gould, Cecil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Sixteenth Century Italian Schools, London 1987
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.