The Virgin and Child with Two Angels and St. John the Baptist

Sandro Botticelli painted the tender devotional scene of the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, attended by two angels and the young St. John the Baptist. Botticelli's characteristic linear grace and delicate coloring infuse the sacred subject with lyrical beauty typical of Florentine Renaissance art.

Such Madonna compositions were Botticelli's bread and butter, produced for private devotion in Florentine households. The young Baptist, Christ's cousin, often appeared in these scenes as a symbol of humility and prophecy. Botticelli's Madonnas influenced devotional imagery for generations. This work hangs at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence.