Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Two Angels

The Madonna and Child with the Baptist and two angels, painted around 1470 and now at the Galleria dell"Accademia in Florence, dates from Botticelli"s early maturity when he was establishing himself as one of Florence"s leading painters. The young Botticelli had trained under Fra Filippo Lippi and was developing the flowing, linear style that would make his work instantly recognizable. The inclusion of the young John the Baptist—patron saint of Florence—made this a characteristically Florentine devotional image.

The early date shows Botticelli"s style in formation, with the influence of his master Lippi visible in the Madonna"s delicate features and the sweetness of the Child"s expression. The linear rhythms that would become Botticelli"s hallmark are already present in the flowing contours of the Virgin"s mantle. The palette features the warm, clear colors of Florentine tempera painting, with lapis lazuli blue and vermilion red creating the traditional Marian color scheme. The two angels add compositional complexity to the standard Virgin and Child format.