RAPHAEL – Beautiful gardener (Madonna and child with St. John the Baptist in a landscape) Louvre (Paris)

Description of Raphael Santi’s painting The Beautiful Gardener (Madonna with Child and John the Baptist)

Raphael made this painting when he was already an acknowledged master. The viewer is presented with a very young Virgin Mary. Her entire image creates a sense of calm and serenity.

Raphael depicts the beautiful Mother of God, her Child and the little John the Baptist. These three figures become an organic addition to the landscape. They seem to be dissolved in it. Raphael prefers to paint every detail of this majestic landscape. He pays attention not only to the mountains in the distance, but also to the plants and the walls of the city. They all grab our attention.

Our Lady embodies two views of beauty. She is beautiful not only externally, but also spiritually. On her face we can read an incredible love for her son. In the infant’s eyes you can read the same love for his mother. At the same time it merges with boundless devotion.

The Virgin Mary lightly holds Christ, who trustfully leans on her knee. He reaches out to her to take the book. This motif was traditional for such a composition. The gazes of mother and infant are crossed. On the right we see John. In his hands is a rod with a cross. He too is looking at Christ. Slightly visible halos can be seen above the heads of the figures.

Raphael pays maximum attention to all the details. He deliberately saturates the canvas with various details. At first glance, they might seem to be completely unnecessary. But they hold our attention. What surprises us is the freshness and harmony of the colors. Mary’s dress is bright red. This was the traditional color for the depiction of Our Lady’s clothing.

The cloak is a lush green hue and the landscape of golden tones merges smoothly with the transparent blue of the sky. The childlike figures stand out against the dark background. The whole picture creates a sense of lightness. It seems to be saturated with light. It seems that this light emanates from it, transmitting to the audience a joyful mood.