(Florence 1535–1607)
The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist,
oil on panel, 94 x 74 cm, framed

Provenance:
Collection of Conte Giuseppe Matarazzo di Licosa (1877–1972), Licosa;
where acquired by the grandfather of the present owner

Literature:
A.Matarazzo di Licosa, Collezione del Conte Giuseppe Matarazzo di Licosa, Naples 1950, p. 26, illustrated p. 27 (as ‘Raffaello e allievi’)

The present painting shows the Madonna seated, while she holds the Christ Child on her lap as he leans forward to look at the basket filled with fruit offered to him by Saint John. The red cherries, the bread Christ holds in his right hand, and the dove above their heads are symbolic. Flowers like peonies, lilies and daisies decorate the lower part and left-hand side of the composition.

The Tuscan origin of this painting is suggested by the Mannerist depiction of the figures, influenced by the works of Alessandro Allori, one of the most prolific and important painters active in Florence in the second half of the sixteenth century and the official painter of the Medici court. In 1540, he was adopted by Bronzino, a friend of his dead father, who trained Allori in his workshop. Allori’s work reveals a deep respect for the bel disegno of the masters of the golden age of Florentine art, including Michelangelo, Andrea del Sarto and, of course, Bronzino. His style, however, incorporates contemporary influences and his landscapes may reflect knowledge of northern painters such as Paul Bril.

Allori was involved in a number of projects, including the decorations for the funeral of Michelangelo in 1564 and the marriage of Francesco de’ Medici to Joanna of Austria. He was also involved in the decoration of the studiolo of Francesco I, together with collaborators and pupils, including Giovanni Maria Butteri, Alessandro Fei, Maso da San Friano, Jacopo Coppi and Giorgio Vasari. He was the father of Cristofano Allori, the distinguished Florentine painter of the early Baroque period.

The present work can be compared to the Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and Members of the Medici Family as Saints by Giovanni Maria Butteri (Museum of Last Supper of Andrea del Sarto). The shape of the Madonna’s face, with a wide, straight nose and a full chin, relates to Butteri’s Madonna in the Sacra Conversazione in the church of San Bartolomeo in Pantano, Pistoia.