Studio of Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530)
The Virgin Mary, Infant Christ, and Saint John the Baptist
Florence, about 1520
Oil on wood
55.3 x 39 cm
Christ stands on his mother’s lap, with his cousin John smiling eagerly behind. John points towards Jesus, signalling his importance. Christ reaches out towards us, and Mary gently restrains him from coming closer.
This painting is the most complete copy of the now-destroyed Madonna of the Porta Pinti, which was a large, outdoor fresco (wall painting) near one of the medieval gates of Florence. It was considered one of the most appreciated works of the sixteenth century. Outdoor frescos were popular in Renaissance Florence as they provided a focus for public worship. This was particularly important during the Great Plague, when gathering in a church was impossible. Many outdoor tabernacles still exist today and express the permanence of Catholic tradition in the city.
Mary’s body is unnaturally long. This is at least in part to compensate for the original position of the fresco, which would have been high up on a wall. The viewer would have looked up at the painting, thus shifting the perspective. Mary’s face is based on Sarto’s wife, Lucrezia, whom he painted regularly.
The group are positioned in front of an architectural backdrop, offering insight into the fresco’s original location and surroundings. On the left, the two white birds perching on the edge of the building represent the birds that were gifted to Jesus when he was presented in the Jewish temple as a baby.
Purchased 1946 (No.46.1)
Further reading:
Bertaini, Duilio et al., Andrea del Sarto, 1486-1530: Dipinti e disegni a Firenze, Milan, 1986, p. 241.
Brooks, Julian, ‘Introduction’, in Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action, ed. Julian Brooks, Los Angeles, 2015, pp. 1-12.
Cody, Stephen J., Andrea del Sarto: Splendour and Renewal in the Renaissance Altarpiece, Leiden, 2020, p. 1.
Freedberg, Sydney J., Andrea del Sarto, Cambridge, Mass., 1963, p. 3.
Natali, Antonio, Andrea del Sarto, New York, 1999, p. 137.
Shearman, John, Andrea del Sarto, Oxford, 1965, pp. 257-59.
Williams, Robert, ‘A Treatise by Francesco Bocchi in Praise of Andrea del Sarto’, Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 52, 1989, pp. 111-39.