Artwork
Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and an Angel
Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and an Angel is an unspecified painting by the High Renaissance artist Raffaellino del Garbo. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the sacred family unit, with Mary's gaze directed toward the viewer and the Christ Child blessing.
The painting depicts the Virgin Mary seated with the Christ Child, accompanied by Saint Joseph and an angel. Mary is positioned centrally, holding the Christ Child on her lap, while Joseph stands to her right and an angel kneels to the left, presenting a symbolic object. The composition emphasizes the sacred family unit, with Mary's gaze directed toward the viewer and the Christ Child blessing.
The inclusion of Saint Joseph and the angel underscores their roles as protectors and intermediaries in Christian iconography, and the angel signifies divine messenger status, reinforcing the holy narrative. The work embodies themes of maternal care, spiritual guidance, and the sanctity of the Holy Family.
History & Provenance
Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and an Angel is a panel painting dated to 1511 and attributed to Raffaellino del Garbo. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, as part of the Benjamin Altman bequest in 1913, where it was assigned the accession number 14.40.671. No earlier provenance or documentary evidence of a specific commission is recorded in the available sources.
The work has been shown as part of the museum's permanent collection of early sixteenth-century Italian Renaissance paintings.
Overview
This painting, titled "Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and an Angel," depicts a traditional religious scene. It features the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, accompanied by Saint Joseph and a winged angel. The composition places these figures against a backdrop of a cloudy sky and a distant urban landscape, characteristic of devotional art.
Technique & Style
The artist rendered the Virgin Mary in a blue robe with red sleeves, while the infant is wrapped in yellow drapery. A notable detail is the depiction of wear on Mary's sleeve, where faded paint exposes underlying layers. This technique was frequently employed in religious artworks to convey the passage of time or the venerable age of sacred garments.
Artist & collection
Madonna with Child and Saints
Holy Family
The Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist
The Holy Family
The Holy Family
Holy Family with Child St. John
The Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Michael, Catherine of Alexandria, Cecilia, and Jerome
Holy Family with St. John the Baptist as child
