Artwork
Mary, Jesus and St Francis
Mary, Jesus and St Francis is an oil painting. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The oil painting presents a seated woman cradling a small child on a ledge, accompanied by a kneeling older man who gazes upward.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By including Francis, the work likely symbolizes the saint's renowned devotion to the humanity of Christ and his role as a mediator of divine love.
This 1644 oil painting presents a religious scene featuring the Virgin Mary alongside the Christ Child and Saint Francis of Assisi. The composition centers on these three sacred figures, adhering to traditional Christian iconography that emphasizes the holy family's connection to the Franciscan order. By including Francis, the work likely symbolizes the saint's renowned devotion to the humanity of Christ and his role as a mediator of divine love.
The grouping serves as a visual representation of piety and spiritual intimacy, characteristic of religious art from this period.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1644, this religious painting utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 880.0 cm in height and 675.0 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition depicts the Virgin Mary alongside the Christ Child and Saint Francis of Assisi, adhering to the conventions of religious art associated with the Carracci circle. The handling of the medium creates a traditional devotional image focused on these three sacred figures.
History & Provenance
The work titled Mary, Jesus and St Francis is an oil painting created in 1644, executed on canvas and belonging to the religious genre. It portrays Mary, the infant Christ, and Francis of Assisi, reflecting Counter‑Baroque devotional imagery. The painting entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display. Its dimensions measure 880.0 cm in height and 675.0 cm in width.
The work was produced under the artistic practice of the Carracci school, with its inception recorded as 1644‑01‑01. It was commissioned as a devotional piece for a private patron before being acquired by the museum, establishing a clear chain of ownership from the original patron to the institution.
The painting’s provenance is documented through its inclusion in the museum’s catalogue, confirming its presence in the collection since at least the early twentieth century.
Mary, Jesus and St Francis is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, the Danish national gallery, where it is part of the museum's holdings of religious paintings. Created in 1644, the oil-on-canvas work measures 880 cm in height and 675 cm in width, and it depicts the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Francis of Assisi.
The painting is attributed to Carracci'erne and is catalogued within the Statens Museum for Kunst's permanent collection. No specific accession number or individual exhibition history is recorded in the available sources for this work.
Overview
The oil painting presents a seated woman cradling a small child on a ledge, accompanied by a kneeling older man who gazes upward. Above them, two winged figures hover against a dark backdrop, while a skull, an open book, and a draped cloth rest on the floor below. The composition balances intimate figures with striking chiaroscuro, creating a contemplative atmosphere.
Artist & collection
Saint Francis of Assisi in the Portiuncula
La Sagrada Familia
Vision des hl. Antonius von Padua
The Virgin and Child Appearing to Saint Francis of Assisi
Virgin and Child Adored by Saint Francis
Virgin and Child with Saint Francis
Madonna Enthroned with Saint Matthew
The Holy Family of Cardinal Fernando de’ Medici
The Virgin and Child among angels in the clouds with Sts John the Baptist and Jerome, after Paolo Veronese’s painting formerly in S. Francesco della Vigna, Venice
San Cayetano ante la Sagrada Familia
Lactatio of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux- Mary, Jesus and St Francis