Madonna and Child

Recently rediscovered, this dark, quiet image is a rare early drawing by the Bolognese painter Guido Reni. One of the most celebrated masters of devotional art in the 17th century, Reni created countless images of saints, the Madonna, and Christ that have resonated with the faithful for centuries. This drawing appears to be an early experiment in a genre he would come to define. The Parmigianinesque composition reflects Reni’s deep admiration of the Mannerist artist. (It references a chiaroscuro woodcut by Antonio da Trento after a Parmiginino design; see Mia 2024.14.2.) To achieve the shimmering, jewellike quality, Reni tinted the paper brown and applied a deeper brown oil paint to the surface as a ground. He then worked the figures up from dark to light, achieving an intimate yet powerful devotional image.