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Notes
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We are watching an intimate family moment, apparently unnoticed. Two children are being introduced – they are the Christ Child and his cousin, Saint John the Baptist. Although this meeting is not mentioned in the Bible, it prefigures the Gospel moment when Christ comes to John to be baptised. The figures are gathered in the space of a small room – the Virgin Mary holds Christ, while John’s parents, Elizabeth and Zacharias, stand behind him. The lamb and goldfinch are playful but meaningful details. John famously described Christ as the ‘Lamb of God’, and the goldfinch is a symbol of Christ’s later Passion (his torture and crucifixion), which was foretold by John. Elizabeth and Zacharias look on attentively as the little bird flutters from its cage towards Christ.
Title
The Virgin and Child with Saints Zacharias, Elizabeth and John the Baptist
Date
about 1620
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 114 x W 153 cm
Accession number
NG3215
Acquisition method
Bought, 1917
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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