Botticelli, Sandro (c.1445-1510)
Madonna con Bambino, san Giovannino e due angeli (Virgin and Child with Two Angels and the Young St. John the Baptist)
1468
Tempera on panel, 85 x 64 cm
Galleria dell’Accademia, Firenze
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi (1445-1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli was a pupil of Verrocchio and Filippo Lippi. In this early work, while remaining tied to the style of the masters, he shows a willingness to emancipate himself from the illustrious models. The composition of the Madonna and Child is enriched by the presence of two angels and St. John the Baptist. A cherub supports Jesus, while the other ideally turns his gaze towards the observer. The Child is not turned towards the mother, but seems to be focused on something further away. San Giovannino and the Virgin are instead absorbed, as if they were in a state of deep meditation. Botticelli will use this iconographic model several times. The finely painted dress of the Madonna reflects the fashion of the time. Botticelli‘s technical ability can also be seen in the complex tempera execution of the transparent fabrics. Due to its small format, the work was probably intended for domestic devotion. Neither the client nor the original location are known. Documents show that until 1900 it was located at the Santa Maria Nuova hospital. The work has been exhibited in the Accademia Gallery since 1919. The panel was restored by the Opificio delle Pietre dure in 1979. The last maintenance intervention dates back to 2011. (GA)