Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
The Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist
(Renaissance Europe )
Both Mary and the Christ Child rest their hands on the Lamb of God, a symbol of Jesus' future sacrifice. St. John the Baptist, who stares reverently at Christ, is dressed in camel's skin in reference to his future ministry in the desert. Jesus' nakedness reminds us of his humanity.
Giulio Romano completed this painting after he set up his own workshop in Rome after the death of his teacher Raphael (1483-1520). Although he initially followed the style of his famous master, he made his figures even more sculptural and gracefully elongated. The building in the background is based on the Cortile del Belvedere in the Vatican gardens in Rome designed by the great architect Donato Bramante (1444-1514).
The painting was previously attributed to Raffaelino dal Colle (see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue of Italian Paintings in the Walters Art Gallery, no. 233, pp. 355-357) but reattributed to Giulio Romano by Sylia Ferino-Pagden in the catalogue of the Giulio Romano exhibtion in Mantua in 1989 (p. 75).
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, prior to 1897 [date of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 861]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1998-2001 | Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1999 | Roma e lo stile classico di Raffaello 1515-1527. Palazzo Te, Mantua. |
| 1993 | A Renaissance Puzzle: Heemskerck's Abduction of Helen. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1961 | Bacchiacca and his Friends. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/11/1939 | Treatment | cradle removed; inpainted; other; x-ray |
| 1/1/1949 | Examination | cleaned; examined for condition |
| 5/18/1955 | Treatment | inpainted; other |
| 12/21/1960 | Examination | inpainted; other |
| 4/9/1984 | Treatment | other |
| 7/24/1987 | Treatment | inpainted |
| 9/30/1998 | Examination | examined for loan |
| 6/1/1999 | Examination | inpainted |
Geographies
Italy, Rome (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 49 1/2 x W: 33 5/8 x D: 1/2 in. (125.7 x 85.4 x 1.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.548