Artwork
Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot
Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Unknown. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The composition presents a seated woman in a flowing robe cradling an infant, both gazing downward.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The saints’ attributes, John’s lamb and Anthony’s traditional habit, reinforce their identities within the sacred narrative.
The composition shows the Virgin Mary tenderly holding the infant Christ, flanked by the saints John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot, figures associated with protection and monastic devotion. The saints’ attributes, John’s lamb and Anthony’s traditional habit, reinforce their identities within the sacred narrative. As a religious work painted in oil on canvas around 1600, the image functions as an devotional focus, inviting contemplation of the Holy Family’s intimate bond and the intercessory role of the saints.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Venetian-derived religious compositions of the early seventeenth century. Dated to 1600, it is classified as a painting in the religious genre and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Beyond these documented attributes, the oil medium, canvas support, and devotional subject matter, the available sources do not provide further detail on handling, surface condition, or specific stylistic qualities.
History & Provenance
The painting is dated to 1600 and is attributed to a follower of Paolo Caliari, known as Veronese. It is executed in oil on canvas and depicts the Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot. The work is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains located.
No further details regarding its commission, early ownership, or chain of custody prior to its acquisition by the museum are documented in the available sources.
The painting Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. While the specific inventory or accession number is not provided in the available records, the work is identified as an oil on canvas religious painting attributed to a follower of Paolo Caliari, known as Veronese. The piece depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child alongside Saints John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot. Its creation is dated to 1600. No specific exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.
Overview
The composition presents a seated woman in a flowing robe cradling an infant, both gazing downward. To her left, a youthful figure with a spear leans forward, while on the right an older bearded man kneels, holding an open book. The scene is set against a darkened backdrop that is softened by a subtle illumination surrounding the central figures.
Context
The painting reflects the devotional practices of the late Renaissance, when intimate portrayals of the Virgin and saints were common in private chapels and domestic settings. The inclusion of both John the Baptist and Anthony Abbot suggests a patron’s personal veneration of these saints, aligning the work with contemporary patterns of personalized religious iconography.
Artist & collection
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