Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints

Original title: Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints

Artist: Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi)
Date: ca. 1504
Medium: Oil and gold on wood
Dimensions: Main panel, overall 67 7/8 x 67 7/8 in. (172.4 x 172.4 cm), painted surface 66 3/4 x 66 1/2 in. (169.5 x 168.9 cm) Lunette, overall 29 1/2 x 70 7/8 in. (74.9 x 180 cm), painted surface 25 1/2 x 67 1/2 in. (64.8 x 171.5 cm)
Credit line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1916

kurzbeschreibung

Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) painted this devotional panel around 1504, showing the Virgin enthroned with the Christ Child and four saints. Executed in oil and gold on wood, it belongs to the artist's early working years.

Description

Mary sits on a throne holding the infant Jesus. Four saints flank her: to her left stand Jerome and Sebastian, to her right Joseph and Anthony of Padua. Three angels hover above the group. Dark red, gold tones, green and blue set the palette, as was customary for religious pictures of the period. Light falls evenly, leaving hardly any shadows.

Context

The altarpiece was made around 1504, while Raphael was working in Umbria and Tuscany, for a church or chapel. In it, traits of the Umbrian school meet impulses from Perugino and Leonardo da Vinci.

Impact

The symmetrical layout and restrained colouring create a solemn atmosphere that invites prayer. Clear contours and the balanced arrangement of the figures feel harmonious and dignified.

Technique

Oil paint on wood serves as the support; the wood grain and gilded ornaments on the frame remain visible. Fine glazes and the detailed working of figures and draperies mark the handling.

AI-generated description text

Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)