Virgin and Child with Saint John (recto)

1504

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Virgin and Child with Saint John (recto) is a 1504 by Unknown, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1504 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This painting shows three figures: a woman in a blue cloak and red dress holding her hands together, a sleeping baby in her lap, and a standing child holding a cross. The background is plain, but the woman’s face is shadowed, and the colors are faded. The figures look stiff, almost like cut-out shapes. Notice how the light seems to come from one side, making the woman’s face darker while the baby’s skin stays pale. This was a trick artists used to make things look three-dimensional. Look up sfumato next to see how artists like this softened edges.