Madonna and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist

Art Historical Context

In the serene glow of Fra Bartolomeo's *Madonna and Child with Young Saint John the Baptist (ca. 1497), we encounter an intimate devotional panel from the Florentine Renaissance This compact oil and gold on wood painting (23 x 17¼ in.) captures the Virgin Mary tenderly holding the Christ Child, who reaches out playfully toward the young Saint John the Baptist—a classic trio symbolizing the holy lineage and future redemption. Created when the artist, born Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino, was in his early twenties, it reflects the era's deep devotion to these sacred figures. Fra Bartolomeo, w...