Madonna del cardellino
Encyclopedia
The Madonna del cardellino or Madonna of the Goldfinch is a painting
by the Italian
renaissance
artist Raphael
, from c. 1505-1506. A 10-year restoration process was completed in 2008, after which the painting was returned to its home at the Uffizi
in Florence. During the restoration, an antique copy replaced the painting in the gallery.
In this painting, as in most of the Madonnas of his Florentine
period, Raphael arranged the three figures - Mary
, Christ
and the young John the Baptist
- to fit into a geometrical design. Though the positions of the three bodies are natural, together they form an almost regular triangle.
The Virgin holds a book, which identifies her as Sedes Sapientiae ("Abode of Wisdom"). St John holds a goldfinch (which, because it feeds among thorns, recalls the crown of thorns which Christ was given before his crucifixion) and Christ reaches out to stroke it.
The Madonna was a wedding gift from Raphael to his friend Lorenzo Nasi. On November 17, 1548 Nasi's house was destroyed by an earthquake and the painting broke into seventeen pieces. It was restored shortly afterwards, but the damage was still visible.
In some versions of Vasari another similar painting is described as the Vallombrosa version but it has never been identified.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
artist Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
, from c. 1505-1506. A 10-year restoration process was completed in 2008, after which the painting was returned to its home at the Uffizi
Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery , is a museum in Florence, Italy. It is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world.-History:...
in Florence. During the restoration, an antique copy replaced the painting in the gallery.
In this painting, as in most of the Madonnas of his Florentine
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
period, Raphael arranged the three figures - Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and the young John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
- to fit into a geometrical design. Though the positions of the three bodies are natural, together they form an almost regular triangle.
The Virgin holds a book, which identifies her as Sedes Sapientiae ("Abode of Wisdom"). St John holds a goldfinch (which, because it feeds among thorns, recalls the crown of thorns which Christ was given before his crucifixion) and Christ reaches out to stroke it.
The Madonna was a wedding gift from Raphael to his friend Lorenzo Nasi. On November 17, 1548 Nasi's house was destroyed by an earthquake and the painting broke into seventeen pieces. It was restored shortly afterwards, but the damage was still visible.
In some versions of Vasari another similar painting is described as the Vallombrosa version but it has never been identified.