Madonna & Child with St. John CARLO DOLCI 1636

  The complete title of this breathtaking picture is Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist.


Carlo Dolci, like Bartolome Murillo, was deeply devout even as a child, and intense religious feeling was the guiding force behind his art. Many of his paintings were inscribed with prayers and intended to inspire spiritual fervor in those who looked upon his evocative imagery. Dolci's piety is illustrated by the fact that during Lent, Dolci would paint only scenes relating to Christ's Passion. His laborious technique and the exacting care with which he executed every detail of his work brought him into great demand. Some of his masterpieces have become venerated images and remain among the most popular devotional pictures throughout Catholicism and even among some Protestants, not known for the veneration of holy images. This Madonna has been exhibited in many collections in the United States. Currently [January 2006] it is in the Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Texas, that is it was the last I was able to determine.  It is our favorite Dolci Madonna.





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