Raffaello and his Madonnas

The image of the Virgin Mary was a recurring theme throughout Raphael’s work, reflecting his continuous search for idealistic beauty and spirituality. The 19 reproductions on display are genuine Renaissance masterpieces. Works such as the Conestabile Madonna, the Madonna del Cardellino, the Madonna del Belvedere, La Belle Jardinière, the Canigiani Holy Family and the Holy Family with a Lamb show the influence of Leonardo but are reinterpreted with the typical grace and harmony of Raphael. In the Madonna del Granduca, he creates a devotional model that would prove highly popular for centuries to come. Sanding out among his later Madonnas is the Madonna della Seggiola, regarded as the most authentic and bewitching. Raphael would become a role model for later painters, more so than any other artist, profoundly influencing the Italian figurative culture.