UNKNOWN MASTER, French
(active 1525-1550 in northern France)

Virgin and Child with the Young St John the Baptist

1525-50
Marble, partially gilt, height 69 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This marble group is rooted in Italian Renaissance compositions which integrated the three holy figures into a compact pyramidal format. Italian, Flemish, and native French artists worked at the French court in the first half of the sixteenth century; the character of this marble sculpture reflects that international mix. If the group owes its design to Italian precedent, its sweet demeanour and elegant gestures reflect the French manner.

This work reflects trends in French sculpture stemming from royal ateliers and spreading to regions near the Île-de-France, but it cannot be firmly associated with a particular atelier.




© Web Gallery of Art, created by Emil Krén and Daniel Marx.