Unveiled: The $22 Million Renaissance Masterpiece Hiding a Drooling Dragon-Dog That Defies History
So the National Gallery in London just dropped $22 million on a 16th-century painting that’s equal parts sacred and, well… borderline bizarre. Meet The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret—a piece from around 1510, carved out of mystery by an anonymous artist, probably somewhere in the Netherlands or Belgium. You’d expect that any artwork featuring Jesus, Mary, and saints would stick to the usual religious script, right? Nope. This one throws in drooling dragon-dogs, cheeky cherubs flashing their behinds, and an angel playing a mouth harp—yeah, that’s a thing, and not exactly what you picture when you think “heavenly choir.” It’s like the Renaissance got a prankster makeover. Makes you wonder: what was the artist trying to say? Or was it just some Renaissance R-rated humor slipping through? Either way, it’s a dazzling, weird, and wonderfully mystifying gem that reminds us that sometimes, not knowing the creator makes the art all the more intoxicating.
Known as The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret, this bizarre depiction of Jesus and Mary was painted by an anonymous artist and is believed to have been created circa 1510 in either the Netherlands or Belgium.
The National Gallery, LondonThe Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret is full of fascinating and bizarre details.
The National Gallery in London has just purchased a striking 16th-century painting for $22 million. That alone isn’t all that unusual. But the painting itself certainly is, as is the fact that no one knows who painted it.
The painting, The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret is full of the kind of religious imagery that often appeared in artwork of this era. But it also has a number of unusual details, including a drooling dragon-dog and a small “bawdy” cherub showing its behind.
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