The Virgin and Child accompanied by saints
ca. 1540–50
Medium
Etching, top corners trimmed and made up
Dimensions
sheet: 7 11/16 x 5 7/8 in. (19.5 x 15 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.78.2(34)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Andrea Schiavone, also known as Andrea Meldola (c. 1522–1563), was a prominent Venetian artist whose dynamic style blended the robust forms of Michelangelo with the elegance of Venetian painting. Created around 1540–50, *The Virgin and Child accompanied saints* exemplifies his skill as a printmaker during the height of the Renaissance, when religious imagery like the Madonna and Child remained central to devotional art. This etching captures the tender intimacy of the Virgin holding the Christ Child, surrounded by attendant saints, reflecting the era's emphasis on sacred narratives that inspired both private prayer and public veneration. Etching, a relatively new technique in the 16th century, allowed Schiavone to achieve intricate, expressive lines with a freedom rivaling drawing—scratch the design into a wax-covered plate, immerse in acid, and print. This modest sheet (7 11/16 x 5 7/8 in.) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department bears traces of its history: the top corners were trimmed and later restored, a common practice for rare prints to preserve or enhance them. Such details highlight the artwork's survival through centuries, underscoring etching's role in democratizing art beyond oil paintings. In Venetian culture, these prints served as affordable aids for meditation, bridging elite patronage and everyday piety. Schiavone's fluid Mannerist tendencies add a sense of graceful movement, making this piece a gem for appreciating the evolution of reproductive printmaking.
About the Artist
Andrea Schiavone (Andrea Meldola) · 1510–1563
Andrea Schiavone, born Andrea Meldolla around 1510 or 1515 in Zara (modern Zadar, Croatia), in Venetian-ruled Dalmatia, hailed from a family rooted in Meldola near Forlì in Romagna, Emilia-Romagna. His father, Simon Meldolla, served as a garrison commander there, and both parents originated from Meldola, where the family held property into the early 16th century. Nicknamed "Schiavone"—"the Slav"—a...