All Madonnas by Raphael. “Madonna Litta” by Leonardo da Vinci. Unusual details of the masterpiece Paintings of the Madonna and Child feeding the pigeons


Madonnas by Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael Santi

M a d o n s

Leonardo da Vinci and Rafael Santi

Leonardo da Vinci- one of the largest representatives of art High Renaissance, an example of a “universal man.”

He was an artist, sculptor, architect, scientist (anatomist, naturalist), inventor, writer, musician.
His full name is Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, translated from Italian language it means "Leonardo, son of Mr. Piero of Vinci."
IN modern sense Leonardo did not have a surname - "da Vinci" simply means "(originally) from the town of Vinci."
Our contemporaries know Leonardo primarily as an artist.

Mona Lisa - 1503-1506 Leonardo da Vinci

Who doesn't know "La Gioconda" - famous masterpiece Leonardo da Vinci?! The face of Gioconda is familiar to the whole world; her image is still the most frequently reproduced image. However, despite its popularity and circulation, La Gioconda remains a mystery to us.

This picture is shrouded in mystery, and every time we look at it, we experience an amazing feeling of discovering something new, previously unexplored - just as we rediscover a landscape well known from the summer, seeing it one autumn immersed in a mysterious foggy haze...

At one time, Vasari claimed that “Mona Lisa” (short for “Madonna Lisa”) was painted by the third wife of a Florentine rich man named Francesco di Bartolomee del Giocondo, hence the second name of the painting, “La Gioconda.”

The “sfumato” typical of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting style here emphasizes the mysterious power of nature, which a person can only see, but cannot comprehend with his mind.

This conflict between the visible and the existing gives rise to a vague feeling of anxiety, intensified by helplessness before nature and time: a person does not know where to go, because his life - like that winding road from the gloomy landscape behind Mona Lisa - comes out of nowhere and rushes to nowhere...

Leonardo is concerned about the question of man's place in this world, and it seems that he expresses one of the possible answers in the smile of the incomparable Mona Lisa: this ironic smile is a sign of full awareness of the short duration of human existence on earth and submission to the Eternal order of nature. This is the wisdom of Gioconda.

As the German philosopher Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) noted, La Gioconda “relieves the tension between personality and nature, and also blurs the lines between life and death.”

Written in Italy, La Gioconda remained forever in France - probably as a kind of bonus for the hospitality shown to its author.

Leonardo da Vinci: Madonna Litta

Litta - Milanese aristocratic family of the 17th-19th centuries. The painting was in the private collection of this family for several centuries - hence its name. Original title paintings - “Madonna and Child”. The Madonna was acquired by the Hermitage in 1864.
It is believed that the painting was painted in Milan, where the artist moved in 1482.
Her appearance marked new stage in Renaissance art - the establishment of the High Renaissance style.
Preparatory drawing to the Hermitage canvas is kept in Paris in the Louvre.

"Madonna of the Rocks" (1483-1486) Tree transferred to oil on canvas. 199x122 cm. Louvre (Paris)

Madonna in the Grotto

“Madonna in the Grotto” is the first of Leonardo da Vinci’s works dating back to the Milanese period of his work. Initially, this painting was supposed to decorate the altar of the chapel of the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception in Milan's Cathedral of San Francesco Grande and is an excellent testimony to Leonardo da Vinci's unsurpassed skill in the field of chiaroscuro modeling of figures and space.

Leonardo da Vinci: Lady with an Ermine

Leonardo da Vinci: Madonna Benois

Leonardo da Vinci: Ginevra de' Benci

"Beautiful Ferroniere" - woman portrait in the Louvre, considered to be the work of Leonardo da Vinci or his students.

“Madonna of the Carnation” is a painting that many art historians attribute to the young Leonardo da Vinci. Presumably, it was created by Leonardo when he was his student in Verrocchio’s workshop. 1478-1480

This collection contains the most famous paintings Raphael, dedicated to the image of the Mother of God (Madonna).

Following your teacherPerugino artist Rafael Santi(1483-1520) created an extensive gallery of imagesMary and Child , which are distinguished by a wide variety of compositional techniques and psychological interpretations.

Raphael's early Madonnas follow famous modelsUmbrian painting quattrocento . Idyllic images are not without constraint, dryness, and hieraticity. Interaction of figures on Madonnas Florentine period more directly. They are characterized by complex landscape backgrounds. The universal experiences of motherhood come to the fore - Mary’s feeling of anxiety and at the same time pride for the fate of her son. This beauty of motherhood is the main emotional emphasis in the Madonnas made after the artist moved to Rome. The absolute peak is considered "Sistine Madonna "(1514), where triumphant delight and notes of awakening anxiety are harmoniously woven together.

Madonna and Child" (Madonna di Casa Santi) is Raphael's first appeal to the image that will become the main one in the artist's work. The painting dates back to 1498. The artist was only 15 years old at the time of painting. Now the painting is in the Raphael Museum in the Italian city of Urbino.

"Madonna Connestabile" was painted in 1504 and was later named after the owner of the painting, Count Conestabile. The painting was purchased Russian Emperor Alexander II. Now "Madonna Conestabile" is in the Hermitage (St. Petersburg). "
Madonna Conestabile" is considered the last work created by Raphael in Umbria, before moving to Florence.

"Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Francis" (Madonna col Bambino tra i santi Girolamo e Francesco), 1499-1504. The painting is now in Berlin art gallery.

"Little Madonna of Cowper" (Piccola Madonna Cowper) was written in 1504-1505. The painting was named after its owner, Lord Cowper. The painting is now in Washington (National Gallery of Art).

"Madonna Terranuova" was written in 1504-1505. The painting received its name from one of the owners - the Italian Duke of Terranuva. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.

Raphael's painting Holy family under the palm tree" (Sacra Famiglia con palma) is dated 1506. As on last picture, depicting the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and St. Joseph (this time with a traditional beard). The painting is in National Gallery Scotland in Edinburgh.

"Madonna in Greenery" (Madonna del Belvedere) dates back to 1506. The painting is now in Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum). In the painting, the Virgin Mary holds the infant Christ, who grabs the cross from John the Baptist.

"Madonna Aldobrandini" dates back to 1510. The painting is named after the owners - the Aldobrandini family. The painting is now in the London National Gallery.

"Madonna with Candelabra" (Madonna dei Candelabri) dates from 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child surrounded by two angels. The painting is in Art Museum Walters in Baltimore (USA).

The Sistine Madonna is dated 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ in her arms. To the left of the Mother of God is Pope Sixtus II, to the right is Saint Barbara. The Sistine Madonna is in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden (Germany).

"Madonna in an Armchair" (Madonna della Seggiola) dates from 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Christ in her arms and John the Baptist. The painting is in the Palatina Gallery in Florence.

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Leonardo da Vinci "Madonna and Child" (Madonna Litta), 1490 - 1491, tempera on canvas. 42x33 cm, State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

The painting was obviously executed in Milan, where the artist moved in 1482. It is one of the works whose appearance marked a new stage in Renaissance art - the establishment of the High Renaissance style. Beautiful woman, feeding a baby, appears as a personification mother's love as the greatest human value.

The composition of the picture is laconic and balanced. The figures of Mary and the infant Christ are modeled with the finest chiaroscuro. The openings of the symmetrical windows reveal an endless mountain landscape, reminiscent of the harmony and grandeur of the universe. The very figure of the Madonna seems to be illuminated by light coming from somewhere in front. The woman looks at the child tenderly and thoughtfully. Madonna's face is depicted in profile, there is no smile on her lips, only a certain image of her lurks in the corners.

The baby looks absentmindedly at the viewer, holding right hand mother's breast. In his left hand the child holds a goldfinch.

The vivid imagery of the work is revealed in small details, which tell us a lot about mother and child. We see the baby and mother in the dramatic moment of weaning. The woman is wearing a red shirt with a narrow neck. It has special slits through which it is convenient to breastfeed the baby without removing the dress. Both incisions were carefully sutured (that is, the decision was made to wean the child from the breast). But the right cut was hastily torn - the top stitches and a piece of thread are clearly visible. The mother, at the insistence of the child, changed her mind and postponed this difficult moment.

The painting arrived in 1865 from the Milan collection of Duke Antonio Litta, with whose name its name is associated.
The preparatory drawing for the Hermitage painting is kept in the Louvre.

Before entering the Hermitage in 1865, the “Madonna Litta” was in the family collection of Duke Antoine Litta in Milan, hence its name. The preservation of the painting was so poor that it had to be immediately transferred from wood to canvas. This unique technology, which made it possible to save the canvas, was invented by the Hermitage carpenter Sidorov, for which he received a silver medal.

Controversy does not subside around one of the most beautiful picturesque images of the Mother of God and Child. The authorship of Leonardo is questioned, and although his papers contain sketches for the painting, some consider it the fruit of the work of the maestro’s students (at least as regards clothing and interior design; still, there are few people who would deny that the face of the Virgin Mary belongs to the brush of Leonardo ). The date of its creation is also unknown. Although the painting is usually attributed to the Milanese period of Da Vinci’s life, there are also later dates, to the time when Leonardo lived in Rome - there are hypotheses on this matter. One of them is worth telling.

Not so long ago, more precisely, in the nineties of the last century, the Russian scientist and church archaeologist O. G. Ulyanov studied frescoes in the catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome. This place is known from ancient sources as the “Lady of the Catacombs” because 7 of the first popes were buried there, including the martyr Pope Marcellinus and his successor Pope Marcellus. According to the latest archaeological data, it dates back to the 2nd century AD.

Among the catacomb frescoes there is an image of the Virgin Mary and Child, which is, apparently, the oldest image Our Lady in world painting. The Russian scientist was struck by its coincidence with the composition of the “Madonna Litta”. Like Leonardo, the feeding Child turns around and looks at the viewer.

The catacombs, discovered by chance at the end of the 15th century, became a favorite walking place for artists and thinkers living in Rome. Leonardo arrived in the Eternal City in 1513 and lived there for three years. Of course, he, interested in everything, especially everything unusual, simply could not help but go down to the catacombs, where he saw an ancient fresco that impressed him so much that he repeated it in his painting. That is, the creation of the “Madonna Litta” should be attributed to the time between 1513 and 1517. However, what is interesting about this hypothesis is not the new dating, but the very possibility of that spiritual impulse that was transmitted from the unknown painter of the 2nd century to the genius of the Renaissance.

In Renaissance painting, many paintings were created on orders from the church and private individuals. The Madonna and Child in Her Arms was a favorite theme among artists. She was worshiped as an icon and later perceived as a work of art. Below is a detail of the artist's work Early Renaissance Fra Filippo Lippi "Madonna and Child with Two Angels".

Christian traditions

Both in Byzantine iconography and in Renaissance painting, the central image is of the Mother of God holding a child in her arms. He always becomes the focus of the salvation narrative. Initially, the Madonna and Child was painted according to the canons determined by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. Already since the 12th century western culture, and later Renaissance painting did not abandon the fact that the image of the Blessed Virgin is an icon, but introduces attributes onto the canvases that give them universal human symbols.

In the photo above you see the Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels, which was painted in 1310 by Giotto. This painting revolutionized the Church of All Saints in Florence. The laws of perspective are not observed with perfection; the Virgin Mary is depicted as a simple sad woman who tightly hugs a baby to her. In this image, full of humanity, there is no detachment or aloofness. Giotto took the first step, without which the Renaissance might have been delayed.

Renaissance

In the 15th century, the Madonna and Child became not only a sacred subject. Her image is commissioned from artists by both secular people and church authorities. This theme is being developed throughout Italy, but especially in Florence and Venice. In Venice, Giovanni Bellini loved this theme. His “Madonna of Brera” is magnificent, in which light pours through the figures of the Virgin Mary and Christ, permeating the entire canvas.

Rafal Santi's main popularity came from the small canvases he created in Florence - Madonnas with plump babies. You can see one of his Madonnas above. The Madonna and Child often became the subject of his paintings. However, Raphael also created large altarpieces. An example is his work, which is exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints"

The altar was commissioned by Raphael for the monastery of San Antonio and completed in 1504-1505.

The Madonna and Child sits on the throne, Christ blesses John the Baptist, who stands at the foot of the throne. The throne is also surrounded by Saints Peter, Catherine, Paul and another saint whose name is controversial. Above the Madonna, in an elegant crescent-shaped lunette, the painter placed God the Father, who holds the whole globe, and the other is raised in a blessing gesture. On either side of him are angels holding fluttering ribbons.

Leonardo's paintings

He was an amazingly versatile genius. He showed himself in a variety of areas not only of art, but also of knowledge. Leonardo da Vinci very quickly, in just three years, developed as an artist and sculptor. Having started working early, the creator shows himself to be a completely original painter with his own direction of search and interests. First of all, we should name “The Annunciation” from the Uffizi Gallery, we all feel good famous painting"Madonna Benois" and "Madonna Litta" from the Hermitage collection. The latter was originally called "Madonna and Child".

Don't forget about the Madonna of the Carnation (1478-1480) from the Munich Pinakothek. The painting “Madonna and Child” by Leonardo da Vinci, a photograph of the reproduction of which demonstrates magnificent color, appears before us in an elegant robe of the painter’s three favorite colors: gold, scarlet and blue.

The color of Maria's outfit matches the fantastic range of blue mountains in the background. The young woman's head is raised proudly, her face completely calm. The face is slightly darkened. This delicate smoky blanket on it creates a complete impression of detachment. A curious moment: the mother looks down, the child looks up - there is no contact between their eyes.

In contrast to Mary, the baby represents movement. Statics combined with dynamics - this is how the picture looks. Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna and Child, described above, demonstrates the calmness of the young woman, as well as the playfulness of the child: he tirelessly reaches for the carnation, a symbol of healing, covered in shadow.

Milanese period

In Milan (during his maturity) Da Vinci created a whole series works, one of the first works was “Madonna of the Rocks”, or “Madonna in the Grotto”. The painting features the Madonna and Child. The original canvas is in the Louvre. The London version was completed by students based on his sketches.

In the painting depicting the Madonna and Child, Leonardo da Vinci, through the movement of the figures, their plasticity, turns of the head, expression and turned glances, seeks to reveal the internal dramatic meaning of the scene. The artist deviated from the canons in everything and approached the solution in a completely new way: Madonna put her hand on the body of John the Baptist. The angel holds the baby Jesus, who blesses John and makes a directing gesture in which direction the blessing should be sent. Peace and tenderness fill this scene entirely. This creates a contrast with the landscape, which consists of rocks and boulders. Everything is softened by the light haze that Leonardo envelops his triangular composition. There are several charming in their incompleteness sketches of sanguine for this angel, who turned his face three-quarters to the viewer, but does not look at him.

"Saint Anne with the Madonna and Child Christ"

This is an unfinished, but very unusual and unconventional painting. The Madonna and Child by Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned by the monks for a church in Florence in 1508-1510. The originality lies in the fact that Mary sits on the lap (womb) of her mother Anna. Moreover, the mother is somewhat larger than her daughter. This subtle but discernible change in size may have suggested to the viewer the seniority of St. Anne in age, since the faces of both women are young and beautiful.

In the culture of painting, there is no longer such a use of a subject for one woman to sit on the lap of another. The Blessed Virgin herself bowed down and wants to raise the baby playing with a ewe (lamb), which symbolizes the suffering that awaits him in the future. The mother wants to return him to her womb. Maria is worried about her child, she is full of tenderness and affection towards him.

According to Vasari, Mary is simple, modest and humble. She enjoys contemplating the beauty of her son. Anna watches her earthly offspring, who later became heavenly, lovingly, with a slight smile on her lips. One of my favorites is used here. compositional techniques Leonardo. All figures are inscribed in a pyramid. Jesus and Mary are set against a warm golden background. Behind Anna's head one can see bluish mountain peaks and the sky, which in their tonality echo the cloak thrown over the Madonna's knees. Gray the lamb is comparable to the sleeve of Anna's dress. Everything is covered with a light veil of sfumato.

The painting was painted on poplar boards that had warped over the course of 500 years. The restoration in the 21st century was not very successful: Leonardo’s muted colors changed to brighter ones.

Da Vinci's masterpiece from St. Petersburg

The Hermitage exhibits the work “Madonna Litta”, which was previously called “Madonna and Child” (1491). On the canvas we see a very young woman depicted against the background of a dark wall and two symmetrical arched windows. She breastfeeds the child and looks at her son with a gentle, barely noticeable smile. The coloring is noble and based on a combination of red, blue and gold. The baby holds the mother’s breast with one hand, and in the other a goldfinch, which was a symbol of the soul of a Christian.

This concludes our consideration of the painting “Madonna and Child” by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is described above.

Conclusion

We hope that the images of the Madonna and Child have given our reader an idea of ​​the paintings of the early and late Renaissance. We chose mainly those works that are not available in Russian museums, with the exception of one work from the Hermitage.

Saint Petersburg.

Madonna Litta. A loving mother holds her child. Who sucks the breast. The Virgin Mary is beautiful. The baby bears a striking resemblance to its mother. He looks at us with a serious look.

The painting is small, only 42 x 33 cm. But it amazes with its monumentality. The small space of the picture contains something very important. The feeling of being present at an event that is not subject to time.

This picture is distinguished not only by its majesty. But also with its details.

Have you noticed that the baby is holding a bird in his hand? That the nursing cutouts on Madonna's dress were sewn shut. And in a hurry one of them was ripped open? Have you noticed how unusually the characters are lit? And why didn’t Leonardo work out all the details of the picture?

Leonardo da Vinci. Last Supper. 1495-1498 Monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazia, Milan

Here we also see a blue mountain landscape. The light falls on the figures of Christ and the apostles also from somewhere on the left. As if from the windows of the refectory of the monastery, in which the painting is located. Leonardo created such an illusion so that the fresco fits harmoniously into the space.

Perhaps he achieved the same effect in Madonna Litta. Taking into account the room in which it was supposed to hang.

2. Leonardo did NOT work out all the details of the painting

Notice how carefully the faces of the characters in the picture are worked out. At the same time, Madonna's cloak is written more roughly. Remember how carefully each fold was drawn. Not surprisingly, speculation arose.

Allegedly, Leonardo once again did not have the patience to complete the work. The version that is still popular is that one of his students helped him. The faces were painted by Leonardo. But everything else worse quality, another person wrote.

I am sure that the work belongs entirely to Leonardo. He just got ahead of himself once again.

Having done varying degrees of elaboration, he placed accents. So that the viewer’s vision “snatches” the most important thing from the space of the picture. Faces of Madonna and Child.

After Leonardo this effect will come. Sometimes he left part of the work unfinished. “The painting is finished as soon as the artist has fulfilled his intention in it,” said the master.

Rembrandt. Portrait of Jan Six. 1654. Six Collection, Amsterdam. Wikimedia.commons.org

Look at Rembrandt's impressionism, unexpected for the 17th century. The customer's clothing is painted in thick, quick strokes. For Holland, which was famous for its meticulous attention to detail, this was too revolutionary. Rembrandt was not understood.

Imagine how misunderstood Leonardo was. Who resorted to such effects a century and a half earlier. Maybe it’s in vain that many of his works are considered unfinished? Maybe they were designed this way?

3. The prototype of the Madonna Litta was created 13 centuries before Leonardo

Was Leonardo the first to depict the Madonna breastfeeding? In fact, a similar image can be found on early Christian frescoes. In the Roman catacombs.

Before the official recognition of Christianity, believers were forced to hide their religion. Underground rooms were dug. Christian martyrs and the first Popes were buried in them. Services were also held there. And the walls of the dungeon were covered with frescoes on biblical stories.

I have no doubt that Leonardo was in these catacombs. They were rediscovered during his lifetime.


Unknown master. Madonna and Child. Catacombs of Saint Priscila, Rome

The Virgin Mary on one of the walls of the catacombs is very similar to Madonna Litta. Lots of coincidences. The way a mother holds her child. Like a baby suckling and looking towards the audience. Even the tilt of Madonna's head is the same.

And Saint John the Baptist stands nearby and points his finger at the star. His gesture is similar to that of famous painting Leonardo "John the Baptist". If you put both paintings side by side, you get a painting from the Roman catacombs.

4. Torn stitches on the chest of the Madonna as a symbol of mercy

The most unusual detail of the picture. Which rarely anyone pays attention to. Madonna's dress has two cutouts for breastfeeding. They were carefully sewn up. As can be seen from the cut on the left breast.

However, the stitches on the right breast are torn. What would that mean? The mother cannot sew up the cutouts every time after feeding. And before feeding, tear them apart. Only one conclusion suggests itself.

Madonna planned to wean the child. Therefore, the cutouts were sewn up as unnecessary. However, she could not resist the cry of the child. Who asked for his mother's milk. In the haste, the stitches were torn. And the child fell to her chest.

Why does Leonardo add such a detail? Why not depict the usual feeding process. Without the little drama preceding it?

Around 1300, noble ladies stopped breastfeeding their children. Hiring wet nurses. And who was the poorest to make do with cow's milk? Since “unused”, elastic breasts have come into fashion.

Therefore, it is no coincidence that in the 14th century Leonardo’s older contemporaries began to depict the image of the Madonna of the Mammal. Having been fed, at best, with the milk of a wet nurse, they idealized the image of a nursing mother.

Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Madonna Mammal. 14th century National Pinacoteca in Siena, Italy

Leonardo was most likely breastfed by his mother. After all, she was a girl from the lower class, a peasant.

But he experienced another trauma. At the age of 3 he was separated from his mother. The noble father wished to see his illegitimate son next to him.

Undoubtedly, this childhood trauma influenced Leonardo. That is why he portrays the image of his mother with such trepidation. Mother merciful and loving.

5. Goldfinch. The illusion of a smile. Lack of halos.

There are many other unusual details in the “Madonna Litta”. in the hand of a baby. This bird symbolizes the Christian soul.

Do you think Madonna is smiling? Not really. This is an illusion due to the shadow in the corner of the lips.


Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Litta (fragment). 1490-1491 State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Also note that there are no halos above the Madonna and Child. If customers did not insist on their depiction, then Leonardo preferred to paint saints without them.

He was a humanist. Exalting man. And in saints he was also more interested in their human side than in their divine side.

Test your knowledge by taking

“Madonna and Child” (Madonna di Casa Santi) is Raphael’s first appeal to the image that will become the main one in the artist’s work. The painting dates from 1498. The artist was only 15 years old at the time of painting. Now the painting is in the Raphael Museum in the Italian city of Urbino.


"Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Francis" (Madonna col Bambino tra i santi Girolamo e Francesco), 1499-1504. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.

"Madonna Solly" (Madonna Solly) is so named because it belonged to the British collector Edward Solly. The painting dates from 1500-1504. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.

"Madonna of Pasadena" (Madonna di Pasadena) is named after its current location - the city of Pasadena in the USA. The painting is dated 1503.

"Madonna and Child Enthroned and Saints" (Madonna col Bambino in trono e cinque santi) dates from 1503-1505. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ, young John the Baptist, as well as the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul, Saint Catherine and Saint Cecilia. The painting is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (USA).

"Madonna Diotallevi" (Madonna Diotallevi) is named after the original owner - Diotallevi di Rimini. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery. The Diotallevi Madonna is dated 1504. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms, who blesses John the Baptist. John folded his hands on his chest as a sign of humility. In this picture, as in all previous ones, one can feel the influence of Perugino, Raphael’s teacher.

"Madonna Connestabile" was painted in 1504 and was later named after the owner of the painting, Count Conestabile. The painting was acquired by Russian Emperor Alexander II. Now "Madonna Conestabile" is in the Hermitage (St. Petersburg). "

Madonna Conestabile" is considered the last work created by Raphael in Umbria, before moving to Florence.

"Madonna del Granduca" was written in 1504-1505. This painting shows the influence of Leonardo da Vinci. The painting was painted by Raphael in Florence and remains in that city to this day.

"Little Madonna of Cowper" (Piccola Madonna Cowper) was written in 1504-1505. The painting was named after its owner, Lord Cowper. The painting is now in Washington (National Gallery of Art).

Madonna Terranuova" (Madonna Terranuova) was painted in 1504-1505. The name of the painting was given by one of the owners - the Italian Duke of Terranuva. Now the painting is in the Berlin Art Gallery.

"Madonna Ansidei" dates from 1505-1507 and depicts the Virgin Mary with the child Christ, the adult John the Baptist and Nicholas the Wonderworker. The painting is in the London National Gallery.

Madonna Ansidei. Detail

"Madonna d'Orleans" was painted in 1506. The painting is called Orleans Madonna because its owner was Philip II of Orleans. Now the painting is in the French city of Chantilly.

Raphael's painting "The Holy Family with the Beardless Saint Joseph" (Sacra Famiglia con san Giuseppe imberbe) was painted around 1506 and is now in the Hermitage (St. Petersburg).

Raphael's painting "The Holy Family under a Palm Tree" (Sacra Famiglia con palma) dates back to 1506. As in the previous painting, this one depicts the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and St. Joseph (this time with a traditional beard). The painting is in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.

"Madonna in Greenery" (Madonna del Belvedere) dates back to 1506. The painting is now in Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum). In the painting, the Virgin Mary holds the infant Christ, who grabs the cross from John the Baptist.

"Madonna with the Goldfinch" (Madonna del Cardellino) dates back to 1506. Now the painting is in Florence (Uffizi Gallery). The painting shows the Virgin Mary sitting on a rock while John the Baptist (on the left of the painting) and Jesus (on the right) are playing with a goldfinch.

"Madonna with Carnations" (Madonna dei Garofani) is dated 1506-1507. "Madonna with Carnations", like other paintings from the Florentine period of Raphael's work, was written under the influence of the work of Leonardo da Vinci. "Madonna with Carnations" by Raphael is a version of "Madonna with a Flower" by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting is in the London National Gallery.

"The Beautiful Gardener" (La Belle Jardiniere) dates from 1507. The painting is in the Louvre (Paris). The Virgin Mary in the painting sits in the garden holding the infant Christ. John the Baptist sat down on one knee.

Raphael's painting "The Holy Family with the Lamb" (Sacra Famiglia con l"agnello) dates from 1507. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the baby Jesus sitting astride a lamb. The painting is currently in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The painting "The Holy Family Canigiani" (Sacra Famiglia Canigiani) was painted by Raphael in 1507 for the Florentine Domenico Canigiani. The painting depicts Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth with her son John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary with her son Jesus. The painting is located in Munich (Alte Pinakothek).

Raphael's painting "Madonna Bridgewater" dates back to 1507 and is so named because it was located at the Bridgewater estate in Great Britain. The painting is now in Edinburgh (National Gallery of Scotland)

"Madonna Colonna" dates back to 1507 and is named after the owners from the Italian Colonna family. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.


"Madonna Esterhazy" dates back to 1508 and is named after the owners from the Italian Esterhazy family. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms and a seated John the Baptist. Now the painting is in Budapest (Museum of Fine Arts).

"Grande Madonna Cowper" was painted in 1508. Like Cowper's Little Madonna, the painting is in Washington (National Gallery of Art).

"Madonna Tempi" was painted in 1508, named after the owners, the Florentine Tempi family. Now the painting is in Munich (Alte Pinakothek). "Madonna Tempi" is one of the few paintings by Raphael of the Florentine period in which the influence of Leonardo da Vinci is not felt.

Madonna della Torre was painted in 1509. The painting is now in the London National Gallery.

"Madonna Aldobrandini" dates back to 1510. The painting is named after the owners - the Aldobrandini family. The painting is now in the London National Gallery.

"Madonna del Diadema blu" is dated 1510-1511. In the painting, the Virgin Mary lifts the curtain over the sleeping Jesus with one hand, while embracing John the Baptist with her other hand. The painting is in Paris (Louvre).

"Madonna of Alba" (Madonna d'Alba) dates back to 1511. The painting was named after its owner, the Duchess of Alba. "Madonna of Alba" for a long time belonged to the Hermitage, but was sold abroad in 1931 and is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

"Madonna with a Veil" (Madonna del Velo) dates from 1511-1512. The painting is in the Condé Museum in the French city of Chantilly.

"Madonna of Foligno" (Madonna di Foligno) dates from 1511-1512. The painting is named after the Italian city of Foligno, where it was located. The painting is now in the Vatican Pinacoteca. This painting was painted by Raphael commissioned by Sigismondo de Conti, secretary of Pope Julius II. The customer himself is depicted in the picture on the right, kneeling before the Virgin Mary and Christ, surrounded by angels. Standing next to Sigismondo de Conti are Saint Jerome and his tame lion. On the left is John the Baptist and the kneeling Francis of Assisi.

"Madonna with Candelabra" (Madonna dei Candelabri) dates from 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child surrounded by two angels. The painting is in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore (USA).

The Sistine Madonna is dated 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ in her arms. To the left of the Mother of God is Pope Sixtus II, to the right is Saint Barbara. The Sistine Madonna is in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden (Germany).

"Madonna del Impannata" (Madonna dell "Impannata) is dated 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ in her arms. Next to them are St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine. On the right is John the Baptist. The painting is in the Palatine Gallery in Florence .

"Madonna in an Armchair" (Madonna della Seggiola) dates from 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Christ in her arms and John the Baptist. The painting is in the Palatina Gallery in Florence.

"Madonna in the Tent" (Madonna della Tenda) was written in 1513-1514. The name of the painting is given because of the tent where the Virgin Mary with the Child Christ and John the Baptist are located. The painting is in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich (Germany).

Madonna del Pesce was painted in 1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Child Christ, Saint Jerome with a book, as well as Archangel Raphael and Tobias (the character from the Book of Tobit, to whom Archangel Raphael gave the miraculous fish). The painting is located in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

"Walk of the Madonna" (Madonna del Passeggio) dates from 1516-1518. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary, Christ, John the Baptist and, not far from them, Saint Joseph. The painting is in the National Gallery of Scotland (Edinburgh).

Raphael's painting "The Holy Family of Francis I" (Sacra Famiglia di Francesco I) is dated 1518 and named after the owner, King Francis I of France, and is now in the Louvre. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Child Christ, Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth with her son John the Baptist. Behind are the figures of two angels.

Raphael's painting Sacra Famiglia sotto la quercia (Sacra Famiglia sotto la quercia) depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Joseph and John the Baptist. The painting is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

"Madonna with a Rose" (Madonna della Rosa) is dated 1518. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, who receives from John the Baptist a parchment with the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God). Behind everyone is Saint Joseph. There is a rose on the table, which gave the name to the painting. The painting is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.

The painting "Little Holy Family" (Piccola Sacra Famiglia) dates from 1518-1519. The painting depicting the Virgin Mary with Christ and Saint Elizabeth with John the Baptist is called "Little Holy Family" to distinguish it from the painting "Great Holy Family" ("Holy Family of Francis I"), also in the Louvre.