Madonna and Child with infant John the Baptist, circa 1542 by Domenico Beccafumi ::

Details

Other Title

The Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist

Date

circa 1542

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on panel

Dimensions

90.5 x 69.0 x 2.0 cm panel; 134.5 x 100.0 x 18.0 cm frame

Signature & date

Not signed. Not dated.

Credit

Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Purchase 1992

Location

South Building, ground level, Grand Courts

Accession number

231.1992

Copyright

Reproduction requests

Artist information

Domenico Beccafumi

Works in the collection

1

Share

About

Though he worked in the relatively conservative
centre of Siena, Domenico Beccafumi was familiar
with the major artists of Rome and Florence. This
work shows the influence of Andrea del Sarto and
Michelangelo, particularly in the figure of the Virgin.
The impact of Florentine artists such as Pontormo is
also apparent in the exaggerated poses of the Christ
Child and the infant Baptist.

Beccafumi was steeped in the artifice and
hyper-elegance of Mannerism, the dominant style of
the 1500s which set out to make the most beautiful
and graceful version of a subject. The 'sfumato'
(smoky) shadows from which the forms emerge
give the painting the quality of mystery, and the
night landscape prefigures the sorrowful event of
the Crucifixion. The expressions of the three figures
are united in grave contemplation of that future.

Exhibition history

Shown in 4 exhibitions

Domenico Beccafumi e il suo tempo, Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena, Siena, 16 Jun 1990–16 Sep 1990
Great gifts, great patrons, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Aug 1994–19 Oct 1994
Archie Plus, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 26 Sep 2020–07 Mar 2021
Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023

Bibliography

Referenced in 15 publications

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Great gifts, great patrons: an exhibition celebrating private patronage of the Gallery, Sydney, 1994. no pagination or catalogue numbers
Edmund Capon AM, OBE, Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation Annual Report 1997, Sydney, 1997, 19 (colour illus.).
Sarah Cooper, Look, 'There's something about Mary', Sydney, May 2018-Jun 2018, p 80.
Renée Free, AGNSW Collections, 'The Western Heritage, Renaissance to Twentieth Century', pg. 108-172, Sydney, 1994, 111 (colour illus.).
Bruce James, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'Western Collection: Paintings and Sculpture', pg. 17-77, Sydney, 1999, 21 (colour illus.).
Dot Kolentsis, Look, 'Backstage Dot Kolentsis – Art programs co-ordinator', Sydney, Dec 2015-Jan 2016, p 11.
Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena, Domenico Beccafumi e il suo Tempo, Siena, 1990, 212, 213 (colour illus.). cat.no. 37
Peter Raissis, The Sydney Modern Project. Transforming the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Past and present: the place of historical European art in Sydney', Sydney, 2022, pp 126–39: p 134.
Lynn Roberts and Paul Mitchell, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, two paintings from flora, 'Framing Arcimboldo', pg.26-37, Madrid, 2014, 28, 29 (colour illus.). fig.4
V.G. Sgarbi and A.Hawser, F.M.R. International, 'Sulphuric Mannerism', pg. 21-44, 1990, 21-44, 41 (illus.). cat.no. 46
Sotheby's London (Editor), Sotheby's London: Old master paintings, London, 07 Dec 1988, 26, 27 (colour illus.). cat.no. 83
The Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation and Michael Brand, Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation: Celebrating 30 years of art acquisitions, Sydney, 2015, p 15, col illus p 15.
Piero Torriti, Beccafumi, Milan, 1998, 187-188, 187 (colour illus.). P84
Michael Wardell, Look, 'Foundation building', pg.14-17, Sydney, Sep 2004, 15.
Editor Unknown (Editor), International Museums Diary, London, 1994, (illus.).

Provenance

The provenance of this work is under review and records will be updated as new details become available. The Gallery welcomes any information. Contact provenance@ag.nsw.gov.au

A.S. Drey, Munich/Germany, [dealer]

Private Collection, Monaco, Il dipinto, giunto prima del 1936 da Monaco a Londra, è attualmente nella Galleria Matthiesen. [the painting, which arrived in London from Monaco before 1936, is now in the Gallery Matthiesen.] see 'Beccafumi' by Piero Torriti, Electa 1998, pg. 187

Private Collection, London/England, Sold Sotheby's London, 7 December 1988, lot 83 for £297,000

The Matthiesen Gallery, London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Matthiesen Gallery 1992