Skip to main content

Sodoma, 'The Madonna and Child with Saints and a Donor', probably about 1525-35

About the work

This little painting for private devotion was almost certainly painted for the Olivetan monk who is being presented to the Virgin Mary and infant Christ by Saint Peter. Saint Catherine of Siena stands on the Virgin’s left. The two little keys hanging just below the monk’s elbow are cleverly echoed in the larger keys to heaven held by Saint Peter and may refer to a particular responsibility enjoyed by the monk. Traditionally, Olivetan monks carry keys to the monastery with them at all times.

The Virgin and Child are larger in this painting than the saints to either side of them and recall types from altarpieces by the fourteenth-century Sienese painters Duccio (1255–1319) and Simone Martini (1284–1344).

This picture is a good example of what made Sodoma so successful in Siena: his skilful blending of the traditions of the city’s past with his own free handling of paint and atmospheric effects and lighting derived from Leonardo.

Key facts

Full title
The Madonna and Child with Saints Peter and Catherine of Siena and a Carthusian Donor
Artist
Sodoma
Artist dates
1477 - 1549
Date made
probably about 1525-35
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
48.9 × 37.8 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1883
Inventory number
NG1144
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

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.

More works by Sodoma

Saint Jerome in Penitence
Saint Jerome in Penitence
Sodoma
Saint Jerome kneels in penitence in the wilderness, where he spent four years living as a hermit. He has discarded his red cardinal’s robes and hat, revealing his colossal, muscular body. The strong light emphasises the athleticism of his physique, casting his pensive face into shadow. He touches...
Not on display
The Madonna and Child
The Madonna and Child
Possibly by Sodoma
In a remote landscape, the Virgin, who is dressed in modest robes, holds the infant Christ and offers him milk. The baby turns away from her breast and smiles at us.Images of the Virgin breastfeeding, known as ‘Virgo Lactans’, became popular during the Middle Ages as part of the increasing devoti...
Not on display
Head of Christ
Head of Christ
Probably by Sodoma
After being condemned to death by Pontius Pilate, Christ was taken away by soldiers, crowned with thorns and called ‘King of the Jews’ (Matthew 27: 26–31). Although all the Gospels describe how Christ was led away to be crucified, only John tells us that he carried his own cross (John 19: 16–17)....
Not on display
The Nativity with the Infant Baptist and Shepherds
The Nativity with the Infant Baptist and Shepherds
Follower of Sodoma
The Virgin Mary prays before the newborn Christ, who radiates heavenly light. Saint Joseph holds back the infant Saint John the Baptist, who holds a cross, a symbol of Christ’s destiny. It is unusual to find the infant John the Baptist included in an image of the Nativity.Two shepherds arrive on...
Not on display