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The Infant Christ Sleeping
(Baroque Europe )
In the strong, harsh light, the naked, sleeping baby Jesus appears alarmingly vulnerable yet monumentally imposing, in contrast to the tiny figures of his mother and St. Joseph in the background. The death-like state of his sleep points to his future Passion and death, while the white cloth on which he lies is meant to bring to mind his shroud.
Schedoni's curiously tender yet brutal naturalism owes much to the extended influence of Caravaggio's painting style, even though the artist may never have actually met him. Schedoni often had copies made of his works. This painting, of which several versions exist, was probably painted by an assistant.
For more information on this panel, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 264, pp. 389-390.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1897 catalogue: no. 270, as Schedoni]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1995-1996 | Going for Baroque. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | examined for condition | |
| 2/14/1968 | Treatment | cleaned; examined for condition; inpainted; other; varnish removed or reduced |
Geographies
Italy, Parma (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 10 3/16 x W: 21 5/8 x D: 1 in. (25.8 x 55 x 2.5 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.
37.611