Artwork
Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist
Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes mutual adoration, reinforcing the theological theme of the Incarnation and the Baptist’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.
The painting shows the Virgin Mary seated with the Christ Child on her lap, while the young Saint John the Baptist kneels in adoration before them. John is depicted on a cushion, holding an open book, a detail that alludes to his role as a prophet and future herald of Christ. A vase of roses placed in the foreground to the right of the Virgin identifies the work as a ‘Virgin of the Rose’, linking the flower to Mary’s purity and heavenly love.
The composition emphasizes mutual adoration, reinforcing the theological theme of the Incarnation and the Baptist’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah.
Technique & Style
Tempera on wood panel, measuring 123.8 cm by 84.4 cm, depicting the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus and Saint John the Baptist in adoration, with a vase of roses positioned to the right of the composition. The work was created circa 1500 by Sandro Botticelli and is part of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston collection, acquired in 1895.
History & Provenance
The painting Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist was created around 1500 by Sandro Botticelli as a tempera work on panel. It entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 1895 after acquisition and remains on display there today. The composition shows the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child while Saint John the Baptist, presented as a youthful figure holding an open book, bows in adoration; a vase of roses appears at the lower right, linking the work to Marian symbolism.
The work is catalogued in the museum’s catalogue raisonné and cited in its provenance records as having been purchased directly by the museum in 1895.
The painting Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist is held by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. The work entered the museum's collection in 1895. It is executed in tempera on panel and depicts the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and the young John the Baptist.
The painting measures 123.8 cm in height and 84.4 cm in width. No specific exhibition history or accession number is provided in the available sources.
Overview
Created around 1500, this tempera panel by Sandro Botticelli portrays a domestic devotional scene featuring the Virgin Mary, the infant Christ, and the youthful Saint John the Baptist. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where it is displayed among other early‑Renaissance paintings.
Context
The work reflects the devotional trends of late 15th‑ and early 16th‑century Florence, where intimate portrayals of the Holy Family were popular for private contemplation. Botticelli’s inclusion of Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of Florence, underscores the painting’s local religious significance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli or simply Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance.
