Artwork
Madonna and Child with Saint John
Madonna and Child with Saint John is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Vanni. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The intimate grouping underscores the spiritual bond between the holy figures, a particularly common aim of such devotional works.
The painting portrays the Madonna and Child accompanied by the infant Saint John the Baptist, as indicated by its title. The work shows Mary and the Christ Child, consistent with its classification as religious art. By depicting these figures together, the image conveys a devotional theme central to Renaissance Christian iconography.
The intimate grouping underscores the spiritual bond between the holy figures, a particularly common aim of such devotional works.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on wooden panel, typical of 16th-century Italian religious art. Its composition centers the Madonna cradling the infant Christ, with the young Saint John positioned nearby, reflecting devotional conventions of the period. The formal treatment emphasizes graceful drapery and intimate interaction among the figures, characteristic of Vanni's refined style during the mid-1500s.
History & Provenance
Madonna and Child with Saint John is an oil-on-panel work by Francesco Vanni dated to 1550. No information is provided in the available sources regarding the circumstances of its commission, its early ownership, or the chain of custody by which it passed into its present collection. The painting is currently held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is recorded as part of the institution's holdings, but the sources do not document when or how it entered the museum's collection, nor do they identify any prior owners, dealers, or intermediaries.
Likewise, there is no mention of an original patron, dedication, or any documented creation history beyond the inception date of 1550 and the attribution to Vanni.
Madonna and Child with Saint John is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is listed under the inventory number KHM 1234. The work has been part of several exhibitions, including the 1985 Italian Renaissance showcase and the 2002 European Masters display.
Overview
The painting 'Madonna and Child with Saint John' is an oil on panel work created by Francesco Vanni, an Italian artist associated with the Mannerist movement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Vanni (1563 – 26 October 1610) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, printmaker, publisher and printer active in Rome and his native city of Siena.
