Saint John the Baptist embracing the Christ Child who sits on the Virgin's knee, she is being crowned by angels, other saints at left by Anonymous

Saint John the Baptist embracing the Christ Child who sits on the Virgin's knee, she is being crowned by angels, other saints at left 1495 - 1505

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Artwork details

Medium
drawing, print, ink, engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 3/4 × 10 15/16 in. (34.9 × 27.8 cm)
Location
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Copyright
Public Domain

Tags

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drawing

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pen drawing

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print

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figuration

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ink

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history-painting

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italian-renaissance

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engraving

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angel

About this artwork

This sheet, made by an anonymous artist, depicts Saint John the Baptist embracing the Christ Child sitting on the Virgin's knee, while she is being crowned by angels. Notice how the composition uses densely packed figures within a shallow space, creating a sense of compressed narrative. The artist uses a network of lines and hatching to define forms and textures which add depth and volume. The visual field is alive with a textural interplay, from the soft curls of the angels' hair to the intricate patterns of the Virgin's robes. The work resonates with the semiotic intensity typical of religious art. Consider how each element—the crown, the embrace, the surrounding saints—functions as a sign within a structured theological framework. The dense formal structure creates a stage for exploring themes of divine love and salvation.

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