The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John

Artist: Vincenzo Catena (Italian, 1470 - 1531)

Original Dimensions: 28 1/2" x 22 1/2"

Location: National Gallery of Art, London

About Artwork: (About 1506-15) "The Virgin looks away as the infant Christ leans forward to touch his cousin Saint John the Baptist under the chin. The presence of the infant Saint John suggests the influence of Florentine art, as he is rare in Venetian art before this date. There are several versions of this design which may date from around 1506, when Catena was in partnership with Giorgione. An X-ray image of a painting believed to be a self portrait by Giorgione in the Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig, has revealed another earlier picture beneath the paint layers. It is a Virgin and Child similar in design to the National Gallery’s painting, which also includes the Christ Child’s very unusual pose and gesture. It may be that Christ’s pose was Giorgione’s idea. The painting is very damaged, particularly down the centre of the panel. The Virgin’s blue mantle, which is painted over red underpaint, and Saint John the Baptist’s green tunic are the only parts still in reasonably good condition." - (National Gallery of Art, London)