Skip to main content

Bronzino, 'The Madonna and Child with Saints', probably about 1540

Key facts
Full title The Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Elizabeth
Artist Bronzino
Artist dates 1503 - 1572
Date made probably about 1540
Medium and support oil on wood
Dimensions 101.6 × 81.3 cm
Inscription summary Signed
Acquisition credit Bequeathed by Sir Lionel Faudel-Phillips, 1941
Inventory number NG5280
Location Room 9
Collection Main Collection
The Madonna and Child with Saints
Bronzino
/

Elderly Saint Elizabeth looks down over the Virgin Mary’s shoulder at her son Saint John the Baptist. The Christ Child removes a garland of flowers from his head, symbolising innocence or childish pleasure. He grasps the reed cross held by the infant Saint John, who wears his camel-skin cloak and carries a baptismal bowl.

The reed cross foreshadows the Crucifixion, and by grasping it Christ accepts his destiny to die for humanity. The wild strawberries offered by Saint John may refer to Christ’s fruitful and righteous life, and their colour may also be a reminder of the blood spilled during the events leading up to his death.

The picture was painted around 1540, perhaps for an acquaintance of Bronzino’s at the court of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in Florence. It is close in style to the frescoes Bronzino painted in the Chapel of Eleonora of Toledo (the Duke’s wife) in the Palazzo Vecchio in around 1541–2.

Download image
Download low-resolution image

Download a low-resolution copy of this image for personal use.

License this image

License and download a high-resolution image for reproductions up to A3 size from the National Gallery Picture Library.

License image
Download low-resolution image

This image is licensed for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons agreement.

Examples of non-commercial use are:

  • Research, private study, or for internal circulation within an educational organisation (such as a school, college or university)
  • Non-profit publications, personal websites, blogs, and social media

The image file is 800 pixels on the longest side.

As a charity, we depend upon the generosity of individuals to ensure the collection continues to engage and inspire. Help keep us free by making a donation today.

Download low-resolution image

You must agree to the Creative Commons terms and conditions to download this image.

Creative Commons Logo