Madonna and Child and the Young St John the Baptist
1490-95
Tempera on canvas, 134 x 92 cm
Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence
The Virgin is solemnly handing the Christ Child down to the young Baptist for him to embrace. It is a devotional scene that positively forces the observer to his knees. Its sentimental character reflects the emphatic piety of the early 1490s. The painting was produced in collaboration with Botticelli's workshop. It must have become extremely popular with the public, for several surviving replicas produced by the workshop are known.
