Virgin and Child and the Young Saint John the Baptist

Considerably curved, this panel is split in the middle and presents a very visible bare area, caused by a knot in the wood. Following widespread iconography in Italian painting, the chosen subject is the Virgin, the Child and the young Saint John the Baptist. The Virgin quietly watches the two children: her Son raises a hand in blessing while Saint John points at him, implicitly emphasising his destiny. This is revealed by the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei", legible on the abraded band that links the three figures, from Christ's hand to the Baptist's cross. Composed in a pyramid, the group is separated from the background by a piece of rich material with arabesques, following a trend popular in Umbria.
Behind, there is a verdant landscape with two scenes: on the left, the Procession of the Magi; on the right, the Flight into Egypt. The view is enriched by a castle, by groups of houses and by various types of trees, which stand out against the sky. The naturalistic elements have been painted with great fluidity, while the material is flat and stiff and the movements of the two young boys are rather rigid.
On a stylistic level, the painting can be attributed to Pinturicchio, an artist who started in the school of Perugino and who received prestigious commissions and the favours of the most important patrons of the period. Characteristic of his style are the features of the Virgin, the naturalistic observations and the decorative aspects, evident in the gold highlighting and in the details such as the Child's red sandals and the fur garment worn by the Baptist, held together with a spray of ivy.
While the layout of the whole, the splendid colour scheme and the painting of the better parts are by the hand of the master, his workshop can probably answer for the weaker areas. The tondo, obviously considered a commission of secondary importance, was probably made for private devotion during the last decade of the fifteenth century.
[F. A.]
H.G.