Processing
Retouch oil-on-board pictography, following methods and recipes typical of Renaissance workshops. Processed with Maimeri and Winsor & Newton and Schminke colours. The details are executed with the aid of a special magnifying glass in order to recreate every smallest detail exactly. The French frame, made of solid wood with carved decorations, is prepared with red bole and gilded with gold leaf. The picture frame may vary according to availability at the time. Solid wood board prepared with a mix of plaster and natural glue applied in several coats. Picture size: 70x50 cm. Framed size: 83x63 cm.
History
Immersed in a wide river landscape with a horizon bordered by small trees and a bridge on the left, is the Madonna sitting on a rock, holding the Child Jesus between her legs, while Saint John, embraced by the Virgin, is on the left. The two children play with a goldfinch symbolising the Passion of Christ. The Virgin holds a book, a detail that alludes to her awareness of the future of her son; an awareness that does not disturb the moment and the scene, in which there seems to be no place for sadness or fear. The young mother cares for the two children with great serenity, accepting the fate of both. The Madonna of the Goldfinch wears a red robe and a blue mantle, colours common in the iconography of the figure; if red alludes to the blood and Passion of Christ, blue instead alludes to the mantle of heaven and the relationship between earthly and otherworldly life, symbolised by the Virgin.
Raffaello Sanzio, Madonna of the Goldfinch (RETOUCH)