Niccolò Bambini
The Virgin and Saints
Early 18th century
Church of San Stae, Venice
This painting is an altarpiece, so appropriately the artist has ranged the saints around a fictive altar where the prayers of these three priests rise to Christ and his mother in Heaven.
The saint on the left is Lorenzo Giustiniani, the first Patriarch of Venice, who is usually pictured in the close cap on his head. The saint in the center wears the habit of the Franciscan order, but otherwise there is nothing to identify him. The saint on the right, also a Franciscan, can be identified as Anthony of Padua by the lily stalk at his feet.
It was a practice in the 15th century to present the child naked and with his genitals in evidence, but in later centuries this was less common.
As usual Mary has a red robe and a blue cloak.
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Read more about images of the Madonna and Child.
Read more about images of St. Lorenzo Giustiniani.
Read more about images of St. Anthony of Padua.
Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.