Madonna del Granduca Raphael (1483-1520)

Description of Raphael Santi’s Madonna Granduca

"Madonna Granduca" is one of the most famous paintings by Italian artist Raphael Santi. The subject matter of the painting is quite traditional - a depiction of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms.

Some art historians suggest that the painting was created by Raphael in 1504-1505, soon after he moved to Florence. Here he became acquainted with the canvases of another Italian artist, Leonardo da Vinci.

There is a clear influence of Leonardo’s work in the painting. This is the use of his technique of sfumato - the softening of figures, which allows to convey a sense of air. There is also the background, which, according to radiographic research, showed a window leading into the garden. The background was later removed. It is now a solid black color in its place.

The reasons why the old background was painted over are unknown. It is not even known whether Raphael himself did it, or any of the subsequent owners, the restorers. One possible reason is some half-lighting, for which Leonardo’s paintings are also known. Subsequently, Raphael gave up trying to recreate the semi-darkness and switched almost entirely to a landscape background and sunlight.

Mary stands facing the viewer, turning slightly to the right. The colors of her clothes are symbolic. The red dress symbolizes the blood shed on the cross. The bluish cloak is a sign of purity.

It is not known what Raphael himself called the painting. The title "Madonna Granduca", or the "Grand-Ducal Madonna", was given to the painting several centuries later, at the end of the 18th century, when Ferdinand III, Duke of Tuscany, bought it from the descendants of the famous Florentine painter Carlo Dolci. Interestingly, for a time the painting was considered miraculous and hung in the duke’s bedroom. Later it was exhibited in Pitti’s public gallery.