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Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist, Saint Cecilia, and Angels

A work made of oil on poplar panel.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on poplar panel.

Date:

c. 1505

Artist:

Piero di Cosimo
Italian, 1461/62–1521

About this artwork

One of the most unorthodox artists in Renaissance Florence, Piero di Cosimo created paintings full of imaginative inventions that enliven traditional themes. Here, John the Baptist offers plums to the infant Jesus, who eagerly devours one while another lies half-eaten on the ground. At right, Saint Cecilia, patron of musicians, sings from a book of music, while wingless angels look on in the background.

The shadowed effect in the figures surrounding the Virgin and Child indicate that Piero altered his plans for the composition after he had begun painting: the artist painted them on top of the dark background color, which shows through the thin layers of paint on the surface.

Status

On View, Gallery 205

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Artist

Piero di Cosimo

Title

Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist, Saint Cecilia, and Angels

Place

Italy (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1500–1510

Medium

Oil on poplar panel

Dimensions

Diam.: 75 cm (29 9/16 in.)

Credit Line

Lacy Armour Fund

Reference Number

2007.77

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/188974/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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