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Madonna and Child

Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato

Basic information

ID: Ж-162
Author: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Name: Madonna and Child
Date of creation: c.1640s – 1650s
Technique: oil painting
Material: canvas oil
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 96.5 x 78

Additionally

Type: painting
Genre: religious
Plot: Madonna. Mary with the Christ-child
Provenance: the Lubomirski collection
Exposition: Potocki Palace

Information about author

Author: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Artist's lifetime: 1609–1685
Country: Italy
Biography: Giovanni Battista Salvi (1609–1685), also known as Sassoferrato after his birthplace, was an Italian painter known for his adherence to the Raphaelian style, which he interpreted based on the experience of the Baroque style. The first teacher of Sassoferrato was his father, Tarquinio Salvi, who was also an artist. Later, the master worked under Domenichino, perhaps the most famous student of Annibale Carracci. Albrecht Dürer, Caravaggio, and representatives of the Bologna school—Francesco Albani, Guercino, and Guido Reni – all impacted the artist's style. Giovanni Battista Salvi is best known for his compositions for the Church of San Pietro of the Benedictine monastery in Perugia, the altar paintings of the Church of Santa Sabina in Rome, and copies after famous masters' works. The artist's heritage includes over 300 works housed mainly in the royal collection at Windsor Castle.

Object description

The canvas "Madonna and Child" from the collection of Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery is similar to the works of Raphael in its subtle poetry and idealization of images, balanced composition inscribed in a triangle, local colour, soft plasticity of forms, and fluidity of lines. Typical is a window in the background, behind which one can see an idealized and generalized landscape based on the interpretation of nature as a centre of harmony. The established iconography corresponds to the image of Mary, John the Baptist, and the baby Jesus, whose body outlines and movements, along with the drapery activity, give the canvas Mannerist and Baroque characteristics. At the same time, the painting technique and interpretation of the Virgin Mary image are associated with the Bolognese artistic tradition.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Madonna and Child

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