Artwork

Virgin and Child with young John the Baptist, Saints Peter and Antony Abbot

Virgin and Child with young John the Baptist, Saints Peter and Antony Abbot is an oil painting. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. This oil painting depicts a devotional scene centered on the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ Child, accompanied by the youthful John the Baptist, Saint Peter, and Saint Anthony the Great.

The painting portrays the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ Child, accompanied by the youthful John the Baptist, Saint Peter, and Saint Anthony the Great. These figures form a Holy Family composition typical of early sixteenth‑century Venetian religious art, emphasizing maternal devotion and the saintly intercessors. The work, executed in oil on panel in 1515 and measuring about 69 × 85.5 cm, was created in Venice and later came into the collections of Peter II and Frederick Augustus II, Grand Dukes of Oldenburg.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1515, this religious work is an oil painting created on a wooden panel support. The composition measures 69 cm in height and 85.5 cm in width. Produced in Venice, the piece depicts the Virgin and Child accompanied by the young John the Baptist, alongside Saints Peter and Antony Abbot.

The application of oil paint on panel was a standard technique for Venetian religious art of this period, allowing for the specific rendering of the sacred figures identified within the scene.

History & Provenance

Created in Venice in 1515, this oil-on-panel painting depicts the Virgin and Child with the young John the Baptist, alongside Saints Peter and Antony Abbot. The work is attributed to an anonymous artist. Its documented ownership chain begins with Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, and later passed to Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, as part of the Grand Ducal collection.

The piece subsequently entered the holdings of the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte before being transferred to the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently displayed in the Augusteum.

The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, accessioned as SK-C-1719.

Its exhibition history includes display at the Grand Ducal collection in Oldenburg before passing to Dutch national ownership; it was later shown in the 1912 exhibition “Oud Hollandse Meesters” in The Hague.

Overview

This oil painting depicts a devotional scene centered on the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child. They are shown in the company of the young John the Baptist, Saint Peter, and Saint Antony Abbot, arranged within a natural landscape. The composition utilizes a varied palette, contrasting the warm hues of the figures' garments with the cooler tones of the surrounding environment.

The artist employs light and shadow to create a sense of three-dimensionality and depth within the serene setting.