Minneapolis Institute of Art

Madonna and Child

Attributed to Guido Reni

Date

c. 1600–1601

Medium

Brush and brown and black oil paint, white tempera, pen and black ink, on brown prepared paper

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

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. Italy, Europe

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