Italian school, ca.1800. "Madonna and Child with Saint John Child. Oil on canvas. Relined. Size: 92 x 71 cm; 108 x 86 cm (frame). The tender religious scene formed by the Virgin and San Juanito watching over the dreams of the Baby Jesus, is located in a place sublimated by the ruins. The ruins are covered with mossy vegetation and open out onto a landscape against the background of which the city of Jerusalem is silhouetted against the bluish tones of the distance. An inner light seems to emerge from Jesus` naked body, reflected in his whitish flesh, which reinforces the purity of his being. The Virgin`s skin also shares this porcelain whiteness, except for the faint glow of her cheeks. She prepares to cover the little boy with a soft gauze, to wrap him in her dreams. Juanito clasps his hands together as he gazes at the little one. The studied chromatic contrast that models figures and atmosphere, as well as the absence of any superfluous element and the excellence of the qualities place us in the Florentine tradition of the Baroque period. The genre of the ruin became popular during the 18th century, and in time it became detached from the religious theme. As for the theme of Mary with the Child and the infant Baptist, it was very often repeated in the History of Art, especially from the Renaissance onwards. The combination of the three figures emphasised the human aspect of Christ, the innocence and happiness of his childhood, in dramatic contrast to his sacrificial destiny.