Fresco fragment, 'The Infant Saint John', Follower of Antonio Allegri Correggio, 16th-17th century

A young St. John the Baptist, wearing an animal skin and red drapery turns to look over his right shoulder towards the viewer, he holds a reed cross in his right hand, greenery visible at left

Bequeathed by Rev., Alexander Dyce

Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce, 1869

Historical significance: Antonio Allegri Correggio (1489-1534) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. His best-known works are the illusionistic frescoes in the domes of S Giovanni Evangelista and the cathedral in Parma, where he worked from 1520 to 1530. The combination of technical virtuosity, dynamic movement and playfulness in these works ensured their importance for later generations of artists.
Dyce. 40 recalls Correggio's frescoes for S Giovanni Evangelista in particular, the apse of which was destroyed in 1587 when the choir was enlarged. The central figures of the Coronation of the Virgin however are preserved in the Galleria Nazionale, Parma and several fragments of heads of angels are in the National Gallery, London. Although significantly damaged, the fragments of the angelic heads have the same wide almond shaped eyes, soft blond hair, defined cupid-bow lips and rosy cheeked sweetness as Dyce.40. Similarly, the young John the Baptist closely resembles the pose and style of the figure of the Christ Child, whos turns to look over his shoulder in Correggio's Madonna della Scodella ca. 1525-30 in the Galleria Nazionale, Parma.

Fresco is a painting technique in which pigments are dissolved in water and then applied to fresh, wet lime plaster (the intonaco) . As the wall dries, the pigments become an integral part of the wall. Fresco painting was technically demanding and was usually carried out on a large scale, so the painter had to be accurate in drawing up his composition and capable of organizing a team of skilled assistants. The appearance of the finished fresco depended on the way in which the intonaco was applied. Until the 15th century it was worked with a trowel to a smooth surface, however, from the 16th century onwards, a rougher texture was created by working up the surface with short strokes of a brush, emulating painting on canvas.

Formerly described as 'Italian School, 17th century' (Kauffmann, 1973)

Antonio Allegri Correggio (1489-1534) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. His best-known works are the illusionistic frescoes in the domes of S Giovanni Evangelista and the cathedral in Parma, where he worked from 1520 to 1530. The combination of technical virtuosity, dynamic movement and playfulness in these works ensured their importance for later generations of artists.
Dyce. 40 recalls Correggio's frescoes for S Giovanni Evangelista in particular, the apse of which was destroyed in 1587 when the choir was enlarged. The central figures of the Coronation of the Virgin however are preserved in the Galleria Nazionale, Parma and several fragments of heads of angels are in the National Gallery, London. Although significantly damaged, the fragments of the angelic heads have the same wide almond shaped eyes, soft blond hair, defined cupid-bow lips and rosy cheeked sweetness as Dyce.40. Similarly, the young John the Baptist closely resembles the pose and style of the figure of the Christ Child, whos turns to look over his shoulder in Correggio's Madonna della Scodella ca. 1525-30 in the Galleria Nazionale, Parma.

DYCE.40