Lorenzo Lotto “The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Zachariah” Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan in Italy

Lorenzo Lotto (1480 — 1556) “;The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Zachariah”

Painting - Oil on Canvas (48.7 x 63.6 cm) 1546

Lorenzo Lotto, The Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Zachariah, Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan in Italy

The Virgin and Child The Madonna is leaning and affectionately puts her hand on the shoulder of the little Saint John the Baptist, presented by her father, Saint Zachariah.

Jesus, sitting on his mother's thigh, looks at the same time as her towards Saint John the Baptist, who receives his blessing.

Saint Zechariah looks at Jesus with love, showing a cartridge on which the name of his son is written, as indicated in the Gospel of Luke (1,63): “Iohaness est nomen eius”, “John is his name”.

In this painting by Lorenzo Lotto, everything is in the eye.

The Virgin and Child Saint John the Baptist looks at Jesus; it is the look of one who “receives” the divine blessing, while the look of Jesus expresses the determination and concentration of a being aware of the importance of his gesture.

Saint Zacharie, who presents his cartridge to Jesus, looks at him with love and admiration.

Infinite gentleness can be read on the face of the Virgin, who looks at Jesus as a mother who carefully watches over her child.

The two adults leaning towards each other form a triangle enveloping the two children; the axis created between the Virgin and Jesus, the arm of Mary or even the cartridge and finally, the cross that Saint John the Baptist is holding are all elements that, in addition to colours, give great dynamism to the scene and breathe life into it.

The Virgin and Child