Gian Francesco Tura active in Mantua by 1527- until 1534

Although old inscriptions on the reverse of this panel attribute it to Raphael and Francesco Francia, this Madonna and Child with Saints appears at first indebted stylistically to the works of the young Correggio (see for example the panel of the Madonna and Child with the Infant Baptist in the Art Institute, Chicago, inv. 1965.688).   Roberto Longhi, in fact, noted a coherent group of paintings by an artist that was under the influence of the young Correggio, and later Laskin and Freedberg isolated a number of works around a Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant Baptist, whom was then christened the "Orombelli Master" after the collection in which that panel was then located. ¹  Archival evidence finally provided a name for the personality: Gian Francesco Tura, active in Mantua, and mentioned in documents from 1527 to 1534. ² 

1  See R. Longhi, "La fasi del Correggio giovine...." Paragone, IX, 101;  M. Laskin, The Early Work of Correggio, Phd. diss., New York University, 1964, pp. 104-114; S. J. Freedberg, Painting in Italy 1500-1700, Harmondsworth, 1971, p. 491, note 7.  Both authors saw beyond the superficial correggismo of the works, and noted the influence of Mantegna and other artists.  Freedberg suggested the working name for the group.

2 See R. Berzaghi, "Tre Dipinti E un Nome Per il 'Maestro Orombelli'" in Dal Correggio A Giulio Romano: la commettenza di Gregorio Cortese, Mantua 1989, pp. 171-192.