Artwork

Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels

Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Master PS. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

This iconography aligns with early‑16th‑century Florentine Marian imagery, illustrating themes of salvation and divine protection.

The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, accompanied by the infant Saint John the Baptist and two angels. The composition includes traditional iconographic elements such as the halos that identify each holy figure. Mary’s tender embrace and the presence of angels convey maternal devotion and heavenly intercession, while the infant John, positioned as the forerunner of Christ, underscores his prophetic role.

The use of gold leaf and richly detailed drapery emphasizes the sacred atmosphere, reflecting the work’s function as a devotional image within a religious context. This iconography aligns with early‑16th‑century Florentine Marian imagery, illustrating themes of salvation and divine protection.

Technique & Style

The work is executed on a wooden panel using tempera pigment mixed with egg yolk, with extensive application of gold leaf to create a luminous background and decorative halos. The surface bears the fine brushwork characteristic of early 16th‑century Florentine panels, with delicate modeling of the figures and a flattened spatial depth typical of devotional imagery. The panel’s dimensions (approximately 84.8 × 60.3 cm) and the use of gold leaf suggest it was intended for private contemplation within a domestic setting.

History & Provenance

The work was executed circa 1500 on a wooden panel using tempera and gold leaf, characteristic of early sixteenth‑century Florentine religious painting. It was created by the anonymous hand identified as Pseudo‑Pier Francesco Fiorentino. The painting entered the collection of Michael Friedsam, who assembled a group of Florentine works later given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Friedsam’s collection, including this piece, was bequeathed to the museum after his death in 1931, where it remains. No documentary evidence records an earlier patron or commission, and the work’s provenance is documented solely through its inclusion in Friedsam’s collection and the museum’s cataloguing.

The painting is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is inventoried as part of the Michael Friedsam Collection, bequeathed to the museum in 1931.

Overview

This painting, titled Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels, is executed on a wood panel. It presents a devotional scene centered on the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. They are encircled by the young Saint John the Baptist and several angelic figures, creating a harmonious composition. A dove hovers above, suggesting a divine presence within the sacred gathering.