Madonna and Child with the Young St. John the Baptist, 1561

Michele di Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, called Michele Tosini (1503–1577)

Florence

Oil on wood transferred to canvas

36 3/4 x 29 in.

Gift of Julie Shaw

McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College

In this 16th century painting, the Virgin holds the Christ Child while his cousin, the young Saint John the Baptist, looks on. According to the Gospel of Luke, John was born in Judea about six months before the birth of Jesus. He foretold the coming of Christ, baptized Jesus in the Jordan, and was killed in a.d. 30 by Herod. An eclectic painter, Michele Tosini was influenced by Andrea del Sarto and Michelangelo to develop his own Mannerist style, evidenced here in the unnatural green hue of the Virgin’s skin, the shape of the Virgin’s dress, her wavy center-parted hair, shaded eyes, and the chubby, curly-haired children. Innovations in painting—exemplified in the works of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo—were exaggerated by the Mannerists, who emphasized complexity and virtuosity over naturalistic representation.