Francesco Bassano (1549-1592)
Madonna and Child with Saints
Church of San Giacomo dall'Orio
Mary and the child look down approvingly on St. John the Baptist and St. Nicholas of Bari. John is identified by his tunic of camel hair; Nicholas, by the mitre and three gold balls at his feet. A legend that St. Nicholas had been denied the right to wear his mitre may account for its being on the ground.
As usual, Mary wears a blue mantle over a red robe. In the previous century it was common to picture the child's genitals, but by the time of this painting it was less so.
It is unclear why an acolyte kneels before Nicholas with a processional cross.
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Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.