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PONTORMO, Jacopo: Madonna and Child with St. Joseph and Saint John the Baptist

🖼 Madonna and Child with St. Joseph and Saint John the Baptist, 1521-27
Oil on canvas transferred from wood
120 × 99 cm
St. Petersburg, Russia

Elongated figures emerge from shadowed gold, their spiritual intensity heightened by Pontormo's characteristic mannerism—twisted poses and ethereal proportions create psychological tension. This composition exemplifies Florentine Mannerism's rejection of Renaissance harmony, prioritizing emotional expression and divine mystery over naturalistic representation.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
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