Spanish school, 16th century. "Saint Elizabeth... Lot 6

Spanish school, 16th century. "Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist. Oil on panel. Lack of paint. Crack in the central part. Measurements: 47,5 x 50,5 cm. Saint Elizabeth, mother of Saint John the Baptist, has been characterized as a tender and welcoming woman. She rests her hand on the head of San Juanito, while with the other hand she holds The Gospels open on her lap. John Child embraces the Lamb, an allegory of Christ sacrificed to save mankind. Stylistically, it follows Renaissance patterns, as can be seen in the interest in defining the perspective by opening the enclosure with an arch behind which the houses of Jerusalem follow one after the other. The saint's volumetric body, softly modelled by the light, and the idealisation of her features are also part of a late Renaissance language. The iconography that introduces the figure of Saint John into scenes of the Holy Family, or Saint Anne, the mother of the Virgin, is not only due to the saint's status as a relative of Jesus, but also has a theological significance. These images present St John the Baptist as a prophet who announces Christ's redemptive mission, which is why, despite the fact that he is depicted as a child before his retreat into the desert, he appears with the Agnus Dei to allude to the Passion of Christ.