The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist

Bachiacca was a Florentine Mannerist painter who probably trained in the school of Perugino. This panel, which shows the influence of Leonardo, Andrea del Sarto and Fra Bartolomeo, contains a wealth of botanical symbolism: the Baby Jesus shows John the Baptist a pomegranate, a sign of his future Passion; the Precursor’s cross lies between two columbine flowers, indicating his future martyrdom; on the right of the Virgin we see her attribute, dog roses, and behind Joseph a thriving pomegranate tree announces the future flourishing of the Church; lastly the little wild strawberry flowers recall the mystery of the Incarnation.