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Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist

unknown (School of Paolo Caliari)

  • Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist 2
  • Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist 3
  • Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist 4
  • Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist 5
  • Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist 6
  • Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist 7
Basic information
ID
Ж-757
Author
unknown (School of Paolo Caliari)
Name
Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist
Date of creation
16th c.
Country
Italy
Technique
oil painting
Material
canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
62 x 58
Additionally
Type
painting
Genre
religious
Plot
Madonna with Child, Saint Elizabeth, and John the Baptist
Provenance
the Lubomirski collection
Exposition
Potocki Palace
Information about author
Author
unknown (School of Paolo Caliari)
Artist's lifetime
16th c.
Country
Italy
Biography
Paolo was born in Verona, hence the nickname "Veronese". His father was a stonecutter, and his mother was the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman named Caliari, a name the artist adopted in the 1550s. In Verona, Paolo studied under Antonio Badile (c. 1518–1560). The painter was inspired by the ancient architecture and sculpture of Verona but ultimately synthesised the influences of Central and Northern Italy. A crucial influence for the artist was Titian's approach to composition, subject matter and colouring, but his works are characterised by the principles of harmony and compositional unity, to which he is indebted to Raphael. Veronese moved to Venice in the early 1550s and remained there until the end of his life, becoming one of the leading artists of the sixteenth century. Paolo Veronese worked for both religious and secular patrons. Among his notable works are the decorations of the Venetian Church of San Sebastiano (1555 – c. 1570), the ceiling and wall paintings for the Library of San Marco (1556–1557), and the Ducal Palace (early 1550s; 1575–1582), frescoes in Villa Barbaro in Maser (c. 1560), as well as altarpieces. From the 1560s he also created paintings on mythological themes. The artist led a large workshop. He was assisted by his brother Benedetto and his sons Gabriele and Carlo (or "Carletto"). After Paolo Veronese's death, they continued his work.
Object description
The painting is attributed to the school of Paolo Veronese (1528–1588). The painting portrays Saint Elizabeth and John the Baptist bowing before Madonna with Child Jesus. The Virgin Mary is seated against a draped curtain. This type of depiction, where the Madonna is surrounded by saints, is known as sacra conversazione ("holy conversation"). However, the gestures and gazes of all the figures are directed at the Child, indicating that He is being adored. The cross with a ribbon and the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei" ("Behold the Lamb of God") held by John the Baptist and the lamb lying at his feet remind the viewer of the future crucifixion of Christ and his sacrificial Redemption.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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