Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist

This is an early painting by an artist whose mature work was renowned throughout Europe for its virtuoso spatial effects and emotional intensity. Worked out with remarkable sophistication for a young artist, the arrangement of the figures combines the clarity of a conventional half-length devotional image with a twisting seated pose derived primarily from Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. Also indebted to Leonardo is the Virgin’s veiled half-smile and the soft light, qualities that defined Correggio’s style throughout his career.