The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist (The Montalto Madonna)

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Domesticity reigns in this exquisite little picture. A delightfully pretty Virgin Mary balances a squirming, curly-haired Christ Child on her knee. She herself is perched rather precariously on a laundry basket, and her nephew, the young Saint John the Baptist, tugs at her blue mantle. On the other side the elderly Saint Joseph has taken off his glasses to peer at the child, taking care to mark his place in his book.

Known as the ‘Montalto Madonna’ after its patron, Cardinal Alessandro Peretti Montalto, this small painting on copper was one of Annibale Carracci’s most celebrated and copied works, but was presumed lost for 300 years until its rediscovery in 2003.

The rich balance of colour, the harmony of form and movement, and the play of light make this one of Annibale’s greatest small paintings, and reveal the impact of Correggio on his work.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist (The Montalto Madonna)

Date

about 1600

Medium

Oil on copper

Measurements

H 35 x W 27.5 cm

Accession number

NG6597

Acquisition method

Bought with the support of a number of gifts in wills and recent donations, 2004

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

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