Madonna with Child and Saints Peter and Francis

After studying under Giovanni Bellini and Antonello da Messina, Antonio Solario went to work with Andrea Solario from Milan. His activity clearly shows the imprint of the latter on his work, so much so that probably the name of the painter derives from this link. From a compositional point of view, this painting reflects the Venetian tradition of the time, but Andrea Solario's influences are evident in the stylistic rendering of the draperies and in the light effects. The physiognomy and pose of the Child, together with the geometric abstraction of the Virgin’s face, suggest the influence of Bramante, while the heraldic coat-of-arms on the shield in the background has not yet been identified.