Madonna del Cardellino
Original title: Madonna del Cardellino
kurzbeschreibung
Raphael Morghen issued this engraving in 1814 as a printed version of the Madonna of the Goldfinch, gathering the Mother and Child with the young John the Baptist. The impression is the fourth and final state of the plate and derives from a painting by Raphael. Its arrangement follows the familiar pattern of the Holy Family in an open landscape.
Description
Mary has taken a seat on a rocky block, wrapped in a cloak, her head framed by the sky. The Child rests on her lap, while John sits to one side with a book in his hands. Trees and a river divide the background. The layout feels balanced, with Mary at the centre and the two children flanking her. Even light spreads across the surface, without harsh shadows or highlights, and the rendering remains monochrome.
Context
The print was made in 1814 as a reproductive engraving after Raphael's celebrated Madonna del Cardellino of the sixteenth century. Morghen, an Italian copper engraver, was valued for his precise copies of famous artworks. In the nineteenth century the print circulated as an art reproduction and helped bring Raphael's invention to a wider public.
Impact
The balanced arrangement and the quiet landscape give the sheet a collected, devotional mood. Clear lines and evenly distributed light produce a classicist clarity that draws the eye to the figures and invites lingering.
Technique
The work is executed as an engraving, an intaglio process in which lines are etched into a metal plate. Morghen used careful line etching to capture details of the figures and the landscape alike. The present impression comes from the fourth of four states, suggesting repeated reworking of the plate.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)