The Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph and the Infant Baptist ('La Madonna del Gatto')

Artist: Federico Barocci (Italian, probably 1535 - 1612)

Original Dimensions: 44 3/8" x 36 1/2"

Location: National Gallery of Art, London

About Artwork: (Probably about 1575) "Barocci represents the holy family in the charming domestic setting of a bedchamber in a Renaissance palace. The infant Christ turns from feeding at his mother’s breast to observe his cousin, John the Baptist, who is teasing the household cat with a goldfinch. The bird is a traditional symbol of the Passion (Christ’s torture and crucifixion) because of the legend that it acquired its red head from a drop of blood that fell as it drew a thorn from Christ’s brow on his way to the Crucifixion. Saint Joseph leans forward to observe the game, smiling benevolently. The Virgin Mary looks down at Christ and points to the cat, which is ready to pounce. The warmth of the gathering disguises the picture’s more serious devotional message – the anticipation of Christ’s future sacrifice. Barocci painted the picture for Antonio Brancaleoni, Count of Piobbico. John the Baptist’s reed cross and the cat may relate to Brancaleoni’s coat of arms of a rampant lion below a cross." - (National Gallery of Art, London)