Artwork
Madonna and Child with Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels
Madonna and Child with Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels is a paint painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1536 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Technique & Style
The palette relies on cool silvers and pearly whites for the figures, contrasted by warm earth tones in the landscape and drapery accents.
Executed in oil on a vertically grained oak panel, the work measures 116.8 cm in height and 80.3 cm in width. Cranach’s handling emphasizes smooth, flowing contours and attenuated figures, with the Madonna’s drapery rendered in soft, undulating folds that frame the composition. The palette relies on cool silvers and pearly whites for the figures, contrasted by warm earth tones in the landscape and drapery accents.
Stylistically, the painting aligns with Cranach’s mature workshop practice of the 1530s, characterized by an idealized linearity and delicate sfumato effects around facial features and hands.
History & Provenance
The painting Madonna and Child with Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels by Lucas Cranach the Elder is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit. Created in 1536, the work is executed in paint on panel. While specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the available records, the museum houses the piece as a significant example of religious art depicting the Madonna and Child. No exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.
Overview
Lucas Cranach the Elder’s 1536 oil painting titled Madonna and Child with Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels presents a serene devotional scene. The work is part of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts and exemplifies the artist’s late‑career religious output, rendered in a balanced composition that foregrounds the holy figures against a subdued backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre, the Virgin Mary cradles the infant Christ, while the young Saint John the Baptist sits beside them, both surrounded by three winged cherubs. The figures convey a tranquil intimacy, the red cloth and golden wings offering symbolic references to Christ’s future sacrifice and the heavenly realm that watches over the holy family.
Context
The composition aligns with Northern Renaissance conventions of intimate Madonna panels, yet Cranach’s treatment of the infant saints and the inclusion of playful cherubs reveal a personalized approach. The work reflects contemporary devotional practices, offering a visual focus for private prayer during a time of theological upheaval in Germany.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
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