The Virgin and Child between Saints Anthony of Padua and Roch
Dublin Core
Title
Description
For a period the work was attributed to Giorgone, but in 1904 it was then changed and attributed to Titian by scholar Wilhelm Schmidt [1]. While some scholars still disagree, most conclude Titian was the original author but took inspiration from Giorgone’s works while creating the piece. The subject matter implies the work was possibly commissioned for the Scuola di San Antonio at the church of San Rocco in Venice [1].
The rectangular shaped painting features four prominent figures, of which produces a symmetrical balance. On the left side of the image is Saint Anthony of Padua, wearing a gray habit and a book and flower lying at his feet. Saint Anthony was one of the most important saints in the order saide from Saint Francis, and has a dedicated shrine which is a favored pilgrimage destination in Italy [2]. There is also a lay confraternity dedicated to him, located adjacent to the church of the Frari [2]. On the right side of the image is Saint Roch, wearing a white undergarment, a blue set of trousers which appear to have broken, and a dark colored cape hanging from his shoulders. Saint Roch is commonly associated as a protector against the plague, with his own shrine housed in the church of San Rocco [2]. His right root is propper on a rock, which helps him to show his exposed bare skin. Roch also has a staff in his right arm, a symbol of power and protector like qualities. In the center lies the Virgin with Christ child in her arms. She is wearing a long, flowing gown with a pinkish red luxurious fabric, and an exterior garment in a dark navy color. The color draws the attention of the viewer but also denotes the importance and significance of the Virgin in a religious context. Christ is standing on her knee, mostly nude with the exception of a light cloth over his stomach. Titian included an extreme concentration of light on the child as to highlight his divinity and draw the central focus of the viewer to him.
In the background there is a natural landscape, filled with clouds, a blue sky, and green vegetation. It is not very well detailed (loose brushstrokes) and remains vague in an effort to focus the viewer's attention on the main subjects in the foreground. Behind Mary is a curtain, a decorative element with different shapes and patterns incorporated from an element of Giorgone’s works [3]. A green square shaped backdrop accentuates the detail of the curtain and the presence of the virgin and child.
[1] Miguel F. Faus, “The Virgin and Child between Saints Anthony of Padua and Roch,” Mueso del Prado, Mueso del Prado, accessed October 27, 2020, https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-virgin-and-child-between-saints-anthony-of/2e87a95b-7a28-475a-89f1-948619f863ac.
[2] Brown, David Alan, and Sylvia Ferino-Padgen, Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and the Renaissance of Venetian Painting, Firsted. (Washington, D.C.: National gallery of art, 2006).
[3] “The Virgin and Child between Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Roch,” Spain is culture, Sociedad Mercantil Estatal para la Gestión de la Innovación y las Tecnologías Turísticas, accessed October 27, 2020, http://www.spainisculture.es/en/obras_de_excelencia/museo_nacional_del_prado/la_virgen_con_el_nino_entre_san_antonio_de_padua_y_san_roque_p00288.html.
Creator
Source
Brown, David Alan, and Sylvia Ferino-Padgen. 2006. Bellini, Giorgione, Titian and the Renaissance of Venetian Painting First ed. Washington, D.C.: National gallery of art.
Faus, Miguel F. n.d. “The Virgin and Child between Saints Anthony of Padua and Roch.” Mueso Del Prado. Mueso del Prado. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-virgin-and-child-between-saints-anthony-of/2e87a95b-7a28-475a-89f1-948619f863ac.
“The Virgin and Child between Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Roch.” n.d. Spain Is Culture. Sociedad Mercantil Estatal para la Gestión de la Innovación y las Tecnologías Turísticas. Accessed October 27, 2020. http://www.spainisculture.es/en/obras_de_excelencia/museo_nacional_del_prado/la_virgen_con_el_nino_entre_san_antonio_de_padua_y_san_roque_p00288.html.
Image Source: “File:The Virgin and Child between Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Roque.jpg.” n.d. Wikimedia Commons. The Yorck Project. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Virgin_and_Child_between_Saint_Anthony_of_Padua_and_Saint_Roque.jpg.
Publisher
Image Source: “File:The Virgin and Child between Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Roque.jpg.” n.d. Wikimedia Commons. The Yorck Project. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Virgin_and_Child_between_Saint_Anthony_of_Padua_and_Saint_Roque.jpg.
Date
Contributor
Rights
Image Source: “File:The Virgin and Child between Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Roque.jpg.” n.d. Wikimedia Commons. The Yorck Project. Accessed October 27, 2020. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Virgin_and_Child_between_Saint_Anthony_of_Padua_and_Saint_Roque.jpg.