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The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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At the centre of this painting is the Virgin Mary, seated in a narrow space, a wall behind her and a ledge before her. She holds the infant Christ, who seems unsteady on his feet as he leans to the right. He makes direct eye contact with the viewer. The young Saint John the Baptist, identified by his camel-hair shirt, looks on in devotion, his crossed arms embracing a little reed cross. An angel approaches from the opposite side wearing a wreath of roses and holding a white lily, common symbols of the Virgin’s purity. Special tools have been used to decorate the golden background and the figures’ haloes, probably to increase the effect of flickering candlelight by which the painting would sometimes have been seen. It is likely to have decorated the bedroom of its original owners, offering a visual aid for prayer.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and an Angel

Date

probably 1450-1500

Medium

Tempera on wood

Measurements

H 69.9 x W 69.9 cm

Accession number

NG1199

Acquisition method

Bought, 1885

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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