Anonymous - Madonna Terranuova (after Raphael)

The subject is a master copy of the Madonna Terranuova, a painting by Raphael Sanzio executed between 1504 and 1505 and housed in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. The iconographic theme stems from the fundamental theme of Western sacred art, the Madonna and Child, with the addition of the infant Saint John the Baptist. He is recognizable because he already bears his traditional iconographic attributes, namely the animal-skin robe and the staff with the cross. The presence of Saint John the Baptist alludes to Christ's redemptive sacrifice, prophesied at an early age. It is clear that we are faced with a completely idealized scene, in keeping with Renaissance poetics. Equally idealized is the setting, a perfect natural landscape, typical of Raphael's work and of the entire High Renaissance. Raphael's original version features another putto on the right.

The author of this copy respects all the Raphaelesque characteristics of the painting. First and foremost, the compositional scheme, which demonstrates the close connection between the young Raphael's work and Leonardo da Vinci, is a direct reflection of the aspiration to a classical ideal of harmony and unity in artwork typical of the sixteenth-century Renaissance. The three figures are perfectly enclosed in an ideal pyramid. Furthermore, within this scheme, their positions and gestures are calibrated by precise relationships of correspondence and balance. The figures, displaying a typically sixteenth-century monumentality, move with great naturalism, perfectly blending into the space that envelops them. And it is precisely here that the extraordinary skill of the artist who created this copy is demonstrated. Indeed, he is capable of perfectly reproducing the sfumato, still Leonardo-esque, which allows the three figures to be perfectly integrated into the landscape, which in turn presents a coherent atmospheric unity. Furthermore, the landscape, splendidly naturalistic, is not caged by the rigidity of geometric patterns but opens up to a vast aerial perspective. Thus space is measured by light, which means, from a technical point of view, making very subtle tonal transitions to create the fading of objects into the distance in a coherent and unitary atmosphere.

From a stylistic analysis of the work, we have been able to ascertain that the hand of the person who created this master copy is that of a highly skilled painter. An extraordinary technique is essential to reproduce Raphael's sfumato, the aerial perspective, and the graceful facial features and expressions typical of the Urbino painter.

The transaction takes place with maximum security for both the seller and the buyer. We take care of the conformity (provenance, authenticity, state of conservation) of the work and handle the shipping.
Returns are possible no later than 14 days after receiving the order.