Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist

(known as ‘Il Silenzio’)

Oil on canvas

73 x 89 cm.

In frame 86 x 101 cm.




The Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist (known as the Madonna del Silenzio, or simply ‘Il Silenzio’) is an oil painting on canvas created by Annibale Carracci between 1599 and 1600, currently held in the British Royal Collection and on display at Hampton Court Palace in London**.

This small painting, distinguished by its exquisite luminosity and typically devotional character, was executed during the period when Annibale Carracci was completing the frescoes at Palazzo Farnese in Rome, his most important work.

Despite its modest dimensions, the work conveys a sense of grandeur: every form is clearly delineated with the classical restraint typical of Carracci’s style, all enveloped in a soft, diffused atmosphere, with the figures emerging from deep shadows.

We can admire these characteristics in our fine copy as well, in which great attention has been paid to detail, especially in the delicate features of the faces.

The painting depicts an intimate, domestic scene, with the Virgin Mary gently placing a finger to her lips in a gesture of silence to warn John the Baptist not to wake the sleeping infant Jesus.

This gesture, simple yet highly effective in conveying meaning, of commanding silence so as not to disturb the child’s sleep, is an invention attributed to Michelangelo and can be found in one of his red-pencil drawings from around 1540, in which it is John the Baptist, rather than Mary, who places his finger to his lips (Portland Collection, Holbeck, Nottinghamshire).

The symbolic meanings present in the work are enchanting and complex, with the idea of the sleeping Christ as a foreshadowing of his future sacrifice, evoked by the panel’s resemblance to an altar and the sheet on which he sleeps, which resembles a shroud. We find this correlation in some of Raphael’s works, such as the Madonna of the Tiara (Louvre), in which the lifting of the veil is a symbol of revelation, alluding to the cloth covering the chalice during Mass and to the shroud that covered the dead Christ.

The Virgin could be interpreted as a warning to John not to awaken Christ from the Passion before his time.

The gesture of the young John, reaching out to touch Christ with his little hand, finds an analogue in the putto who is curiously about to touch the crown of thorns in Annibale di Capodimonte’s Pietà (https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/1500625741 ), suggesting that the painter was developing ideas for both paintings simultaneously. Both these works follow a striking, carefully balanced pyramidal composition, with the crucial gesture of the Virgin, the dominant figure of the composition, holding the centre.

Among the most illustrious names to have taken up this design, we may mention the version by Domenichino (or attributed to his school) and held at the Louvre Museum in Paris, probably painted around 1605, and thus very shortly after the original, or a square composition by Sassoferrato.

** Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist (“The Silence”)

c.1599–1600 – Oil on canvas – 51 x 68 cm

Hampton Court Palace, Royal Collection, London

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with a gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We arrange and organise the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, using professional and insured carriers.

Should you wish to view this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!

Please contact us for any information or to arrange a visit; we will be happy to assist you.

Follow us on: