Florentine School, circa 1500

Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist,
oil on panel, tondo, diameter 70 cm, framed
Provenance:
Private European collection

The figure of the Christ Child, in the foreground of this tondo, is portrayed with naturalism and the gesture of blessing is depicted as the movements of an infant, tenderly reaching for his mother. Placed on the left side of the composition, the Child is the focus of both the viewer’s attention, as well as the Madonna’s. Joseph meanwhile gazes downwards pensively. In the background, slightly distanced from the Holy Family stands the Infant Saint John the Baptist. His presence in the image further suggest that the painting is of Florentine origin as Saint John the Baptist was the patron saint of Florence. In the fifteenth and sixteenth century Italy, Florence was also the centre for the production of tondi, paintings in round format.

The earliest tondi were likely derived from the tradition of deschi da parto, round platters which were given to a family after the birth of a child and would illustrate themes linked to maternity. In the present painting the Madonna and Child are silently joined in prayer with their eyes meeting at the center of the composition, thereby conforming to this Florentine tradition.
Specialist: Mark MacDonnell