The Madonna Connestabile Raphael (1483-1520)
Raphael – The Madonna Connestabile
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Download full size: 3027×3082 px (1,2 Mb)
Painter: Raphael
Location: Hermitage, St. Petersburg (Эрмитаж).
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When Santi painted Madonna and Child, he was almost seventeen years old. So this painting does not yet have the classical beauty, the brilliance and painterly execution for which the master’s later works were renowned. But in the chamber and modest Madonna and Child there are other qualities that give it an exquisite appearance. The main feature of the painting is the subtle lyricism that permeates the entire picture.
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Description of Raphael Santi’s Madonna and Child (Madonna Conestabile)
When Santi painted Madonna and Child, he was almost seventeen years old. So this painting does not yet have the classical beauty, the brilliance and painterly execution for which the master’s later works were renowned. But in the chamber and modest Madonna and Child there are other qualities that give it an exquisite appearance.
The main feature of the painting is the subtle lyricism that permeates the entire picture. It can be seen both in the image of the Madonna - very young and, childishly, naive features of the girl’s face. And also in the pristine landscape that gently spreads out behind her. Everything is in a spring mood, everything is turning green and buds are blossoming as signs of new life.
The main feature in the Madonna’s appearance is her pensive clarity of features; the same mood hovers around her. In its chamber character, this painting is reminiscent of the miniature for book publications. Having chosen the circle as the form of his work, Raphael naturally builds and composition in a limited space.
The girl fits very harmoniously into this framework. Its rounded shape perfectly underlines the smooth lines of the Madonna’s shoulder, her head covered by the veil, the lines of her second shoulder. The figure of the girl is placed strictly in the center. The child’s body is positioned at the same angle as the mother’s head.
Thanks to this technique, the artist managed to harmoniously combine these two persons into a single composition. The baby is trying to play, but his mother is engrossed in reading, which also interested the baby, so they are both turned towards the book. The impression of perfect peace and quiet is created.
It should also be noted that the frame of the picture is also made from a drawing by the artist himself. These are grotesque ornaments, with black and gold colors in combination. The gilded frame, is done in low relief with wood carvings.
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Even in this small work by the young master, one immediately recognizes the hand of the great Raphael – through its broad generalizations of form and their smooth, light harmony, through their precise rendering in space together with the airy perspective, and, most importantly, through the impeccable compositional balance of everything, reflecting the meaning of the painting: the shared fascination of both mother and child as they study the text of a book. Their heads are aligned in unison, on the same line as the book, creating a sense of unity, a shared aspiration, a complete spiritual and material impulse in this action – a contrast to his teacher Perugino, and even more so to his younger colleagues and rivals in the workshop.
Around the age of 20, Raphael painted in a style similar to that of his teacher, Pietro Perugino. However, this work is different. The young master moves away from the Perugian style and develops his own, which would soon be admired for centuries. The subject of the painting is simple: the Virgin Mary with her small son Jesus against a modest landscape. They do not appear as the Savior of the World and the Holy Mother. They are simply a mother and child. Italians chose the word Madonna for the Virgin Mary, and they have illustrated this concept with their paintings. And this young woman in the painting is indeed the Madonna.
The work has a circular shape, symbolizing the eternity of the world.
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This painting, The Madonna Connestabile by Raphael, depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child. The figures are set against a serene, idealized landscape characteristic of the Renaissance. Mary, with a gentle and contemplative expression, is dressed in a blue mantle over a red gown. The Christ child, chubby and alert, is seated on her lap and is shown reading from a small book, held open in his hands. The painting is circular in format, with a soft halo encircling Marys head and a subtle one around the childs.
Subtexts in the painting: