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Sebastiano del Piombo, 'The Madonna and Child with Saints and a Donor', 1517

About the work

Overview

The Virgin Mary turns to look down at the kneeling man beside her and extends a protective arm around his shoulder. Saint John the Baptist points at the lively Christ Child, while Saint Joseph sleeps with his head on his arm. The diagonals in the composition draw the viewer’s eye to Christ’s gaze, which is directed back at the viewer.

The kneeling man is the donor of the painting, most likely Pierfrancesco Borgherini, a wealthy Florentine merchant. In 1517, Michelangelo was asked to send Sebastiano a drawing for a Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist from which to paint a picture for Pierfrancesco Borgherini. The National Gallery’s painting is dated 1517 on the arm of the Virgin’s seat. There is a red chalk drawing by Michelangelo of the Virgin and Child (Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam) in a similar pose to the one shown here, and it may be the drawing that Michelangelo supplied to Sebastiano.

Key facts

Details

Full title
The Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph, Saint John the Baptist and a Donor
Artist dates
about 1485 - 1547
Date made
1517
Medium and support
oil on wood
Dimensions
97.8 × 106.7 cm
Acquisition credit
Bought, 1895
Inventory number
NG1450
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
16th-century Italian Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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