← Raphael Morghen

Madonna of the chair (Madonna della Seggiola)

Original title: Madonna of the chair (Madonna della Seggiola)

Artist

Raphael Morghen

Date

1793

Medium

Engraving; twelfth state of fourteen

Dimensions

Plate: 16 9/16 × 14 1/2 in. (42.1 × 36.8 cm) Sheet: 18 1/2 × 15 15/16 in. (47 × 40.5 cm)

Credit line

Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924

kurzbeschreibung

Raphael Morghen's 1793 engraving shows the Madonna with the Christ Child and an angel. It is the twelfth state in a series of fourteen. The model was Raphael's well-known painting.

Description

The Madonna sits on an ornate chair, the Child on her lap gazing to the left. An angel stands at her right, one hand pointing to the Child, the other holding a cross. A near-black background makes the figures stand out sharply. Below the group runs a block of text with inscriptions and a coat of arms. The arrangement feels balanced and stays within monochrome greys.

Context

The 1793 print belongs to the Neoclassical period, when Raphael's works were held up as models. Raphael Morghen, an Italian engraver, was known for his reproductions of famous paintings. The original by Raphael was made around 1513–1514 and hangs today in the Uffizi in Florence. Morghen's engraving spread the image widely.

Impact

The dark surroundings draw attention to the Madonna's delicate features and her gentle turn toward the Child. Fine lines create a calm, contemplative mood of the kind typical of depictions of maternal love. The symmetrical layout and clear contours invite quiet looking.

Technique

Engraved in copper and then printed, the work shows how lines and hatching model tonal values. Morghen used fine hatching to work out light and shadow. This impression belongs to the twelfth state, pointing to a later edition after the plate had been reworked several times.

AI-generated description text

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