Florentine Master, c.1520-1540, Madonna with Child and Little John Baptist, Florentine Master, c.1520-1540, Madonna with Child and Little John Baptist

61.5 × 61cm

Madonna holds the baby Jesus in both hands in an elegant turn. His right leg is over her arm. John approaches as a boy from the left, points his finger at Jesus and has given him a scroll with the inscription ECCE AGNUS DIE ("Behold the Lamb of God", John 1:29 and 36). These are the words John the baptist will speak to Christ when he comes to him to be baptised in the Jordan. Madonna wears a red dress and is wrapped in a blue cloak lined with green, which is pulled over her head. A red curtain behind, highlights her. Blue sky can be seen behind the balustrade.
The twisted posture of Madonna, the tight-fitting dress and the cool colors are hallmarks of Florentine Mannerism.
oil on wood
61.5 × 61 cm