Innocenzo Francucci, known as Innocenzo da Imola (Imola, 1490 ca. - Bologna 1545)
Madonna with child, Saint Agnes and Saint John the Baptist
tempera on panel; inv. P 588
provenance: unknown
Innocenzo da Imola can be considered the most important Bolognese “Raphaelist” of the 1520s and 1530s.
His works tend to be serene and ordered, but in this particular work the painter incorporated more lively details such as the infant Jesus looking with curiosity upon the lamb, an attribute of Saint Agnes who is standing at his side, and the figure of Saint John the Baptist, whose back is turned to the observer.
The subject of this work, which is a variation on the theme of the Holy Family, was a favorite not only with Innocenzo da Imola but with all Bolognese artists of the period.
