Artwork
Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian
Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Michele da Verona. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1550 by Michele da Verona, this religious painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, flanked by two specific saints.
Created in 1550 by Michele da Verona, this religious painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, flanked by two specific saints. The figures identified are Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian, both traditionally invoked as protectors against plague and epidemics. The inclusion of these particular intercessors alongside the Madonna and Child suggests the work served a devotional function related to health crises or communal protection from disease.
The composition centers on the sacred mother-and-child group while integrating the standing male saints, reinforcing the theological connection between divine mercy and saintly intervention during times of suffering.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian was executed by Michele da Verona in 1550. Its dimensions are 24.5 × 37.5 cm. The composition depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ accompanied by Saints Roch and Sebastian, fitting the religious genre typical of mid-sixteenth-century Venetian art. The artwork entered the collection of Robert Lehman, whose bequest transferred ownership to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is presently displayed. No earlier ownership records are available beyond the Lehman provenance.
Context
Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian is a 1550 oil painting by Michele da Verona reflecting the devotional trends of the mid-sixteenth century. The painting is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, acquired through the Robert Lehman bequest. Its composition, featuring the Virgin, Christ Child, and the plague saints Roch and Sebastian, exemplifies the iconographic conventions of Venetian devotional imagery.
Overview
This painting, titled Madonna and Child with Saints Roch and Sebastian, depicts a solemn gathering of four figures within a dimly lit environment. At its center, a robed woman cradles an infant while seated on a low structure. She is flanked by two male figures: one kneels in supplication, gazing upward, while the other rests on the ground, partially draped.
The overall composition emphasizes a dramatic interplay of forms and shadows, setting a serious tone for the sacred encounter.
Technique & Style
The artist employs a strong contrast between light and shadow, a technique known as chiaroscuro, to define the figures and heighten the emotional impact of the scene. This dramatic illumination renders the space dim and atmospheric, allowing certain forms to emerge with striking clarity while others recede into obscurity. The interplay of light and dark accentuates the varied expressions and postures of the figures, from the Madonna's calm demeanor to the palpable tension and exhaustion conveyed by the saints, thereby enhancing the painting's narrative depth.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Michele da Verona (Michele di Zenone) (1470, in Verona – 1536/1544) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He is different but a near contemporary of Zenone Veronese (1484 -1542).
Two Fragments of a Cartoon of 'The Adoration of the Magi'
Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant Saint John
Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John the Baptist
Virgin and Child with Saints
Circumcision of Christ
Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome, Bernardino of Siena, and Angels
The Virgin and Child with Saint Andrew and Saint Peter
Virgin and Child
The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Saints and Angels
Virgin and Child in the Grotto (Adoration of the Magi)
