Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Two Putti (recto); Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and a Putto (verso) 1503 - 1508

Fra Bartolomeo created this pen and brown ink drawing, now at the Metropolitan Museum, with the title "Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Two Putti". The composition is dominated by the figure of Madonna at the center, her body draped in heavy, flowing robes. Her solemn expression contrasts with the active infants around her. Notice how Bartolomeo uses line to define form. The density and direction of hatching create volume and shadow, particularly in the drapery which adds a tactile quality. These linear patterns direct our eye, establishing a hierarchy within the composition. The use of line and form can be seen as a structural means of conveying religious narrative. The drawing’s formal structure operates as a semiotic device. The artist offers a representation of divine motherhood, childhood innocence, and saintly devotion. The linear quality underscores the intellectual and theological underpinnings of Renaissance art. Through these deliberate choices, Bartolomeo invites us to interpret the drawing as a convergence of artistic form and religious doctrine.