Virgin and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist

Raffaellino’s highly considered yet relatively small body of work neatly links the art of the Quattrocento with that of the High Renaissance in Florence. Conceived very much in the classical idiom prevalent in the art of Florence circa 1500, the present tondo is reminiscent not just of his teacher, Filippino Lippi, but also of Botticelli and Piero di Cosimo. The composition is clearly linked to one that originated in the Botticelli studio, and of which innumerable versions exist. However, the background landscape with Sts Jerome and Francis seen in profile and framing the composition as a whole, is unique.