3-002-657 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist, c1565. This charming image depicts the Madonna holding the Christ Child on her lap as he reaches over to embrace his cousin John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence. With his arms folded over his chest in a sign of reverence, the Baptist lovingly looks toward Christ, who in turn twists around to lock us with his mother. The sprawling landscape behind the figures includes views of two distant cities at the left and right. With its lively brushwork, pastel colors, and complex, twisting poses, the painting is a characteristic example of mannerism, a 16th-century style focused more on expression than naturalism.