Artwork
Madonna and Child with Saints
Madonna and Child with Saints is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Ludovico Carracci. It dates from 1607 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
The Virgin in a pink and blue robe holds the haloed Christ child on her lap. Bearded saints gather behind them and a young woman in a dark dress stands near as the child reaches toward a small open book. Against the dark background, strong light and shadow set the figures off. Ludovico Carracci, 1607, on copper.
Subject & Meaning
The small scale of the copper support suggests it may have been designed for private devotion or intimate viewing rather than a large public altar.
Created in 1607 by Ludovico Carracci, this religious painting on copper centers on the Madonna and Child as its primary subject. The composition depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, flanked by specific saints identified as Saint Peter and Andrew the Apostle. As a work of religious art, the piece functions as a devotional image, presenting the holy figures in a traditional sacred grouping.
The inclusion of these particular saints alongside the central mother and child establishes the work's iconographic program, intended to evoke spiritual contemplation within a Christian context. The small scale of the copper support suggests it may have been designed for private devotion or intimate viewing rather than a large public altar.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1607 by Ludovico Carracci, this religious painting is distinguished by its use of oil paint applied directly to a copper support. The work measures 29.8 cm in height and 25.1 cm in width, a format that reflects the artist's engagement with the small-scale devotional tradition favored in the early Baroque period. The copper panel provides a smooth, non-absorbent ground that allows for precise brushwork and a luminous finish, enhancing the vibrancy of the oil pigments.
Stylistically, the composition presents the Madonna and Child alongside Saint Peter and the Apostle Andrew, rendered with the clarity and emotional immediacy characteristic of Carracci's mature style.
History & Provenance
"Madonna and Child with Saints" was executed by Ludovico Carracci in 1607 in oil on a copper support, a religious work measuring 29.8 by 25.1 centimeters. It depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ accompanied by Saint Peter and the Apostle Andrew. The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Earlier ownership details, a specific accession number, and exhibition history are not specified in the available sources.
Overview
This painting, titled Madonna and Child with Saints, is executed on a copper support. It depicts a central group featuring the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, encircled by several holy figures. The composition emphasizes the sacred gathering, presenting a devotional scene characteristic of religious art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ludovico (or Lodovico) Carracci ( kə-RAH-chee, UK also kə-RATCH-ee, Italian:; 21 April 1555 – 13 November 1619) was an Italian early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker from Bologna.
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