Madonna with the Child and Young St. John Raphael (1483-1520)

Description of Raphael Santi’s painting "Madonna in an Armchair"

One of the legendary artists of Europe is rightly considered Raphael Santi. His work began when he was still very young. Even then, everyone admired his work, so it is not surprising that the young master was invited to work in Rome.

One of his great works is considered "Madonna in an armchair," which to this day is in the Palatine Gallery. Unlike the standard form, the painting has an oval shape, where the Madonna is placed. Her smile immediately catches your eye when you look at it.

The image of the woman is significantly different from previous works by the artist, where he portrayed her. This gives a special originality to the painting. On her head there is a light striped cape, which gives even more maternity. In it, Madonna appears to be a kind of mistress, abandoning her work as soon as she hears the cry of a child.

However, her clothes immediately disprove this. The bright colors of Madonna’s garments give her a sophisticated look, making the woman extremely attractive. A scarlet sweater over which a green shawl with various patterns is thrown.

For the painting, Franorina, his wife, posed for the artist. She also posed for the "Sistine Madonna" and more. Raphael used the appearance of his wife for the image of almost all the women in his paintings. Except that in some he had outsiders posing for him. In one of his works, Raphael invited a peasant woman. He personified female beauty, motherhood, spirituality and all the good qualities that only a woman can have.

And it paid off. Raphael was nicknamed the master of the Madonnas, and thus, in this way, was praised as well as Franorina. All of Raphael’s Madonnas made before he moved to Rome are tender, caring and lovely women. When the artist began working on images of women while in Rome, they already had majesty and power.