JOHANNES ROTTENHAMMER (1564–1625) - ATTRIBUTED

Oil on copper panel. Johannes Rottenhammer studied in Munich and subsequently worked in Venice, but also spent time in Rome. Here he met with the Flemish painters Paul Bril and Jan Brueghel the Elder, with whom he often collaborated. Despite numerous successes in Rome, Rottenhammer returned to Venice, and in 1596 he established his own workshop. His cabinet paintings on copper met here with great success. He specialised in religious and mythological themes, linking the German and Italian elements, while combining the northern landscape tradition with the compositional and figurative styles of Tintoretto and Veronese. In 1606 he went to Augsburg, where he painted large-scale altarpieces and frescoes for major clients. Rottenhammer was a very accomplished artist, and his works were highly sought after throughout Europe. Here he presents a favorite theme: the Madonna. Sitting on her lap, the infant Jesus embraces John the Baptist. The scene is complemented in the lower right corner with the figure of a lamb, on the left a table with a bowl of fruit, and in the background, richly pleated green drapery.