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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileMary with the Child, John the Baptist and a Holy Boy (Madonna Terranuova) label QS:Lit,"Maria con il Bambino, Giovanni Battista e un Santo ragazzo (Madonna Terrranuova)"label QS:Lde,"Maria mit dem Kind, Johannes d.T. und einem Hl. Knaben (Madonna Terranuova)"label QS:Len,"Mary with the Child, John the Baptist and a Holy Boy (Madonna Terranuova)"
A circular composition featuring the Madonna and Child set against a serene landscape with distant architecture and rocky cliffs. The infant Christ grasps a parchment scroll that unfurls toward John the Baptist, who holds a slender reed cross, while a third child watches from the right. The figures are rendered with soft, atmospheric modeling, creating a sense of tranquil balance and harmony.
Painted during Raphael's formative years in Florence, the tondo (circular) format reflects the Neoplatonic preoccupation with geometric perfection and the circle as a symbol of divine unity. This artistic choice aligns with the intellectual atmosphere of the Platonic Academy and the writings of Marsilio Ficino, who viewed beauty and symmetry as terrestrial reflections of the divine order.
AGNIVS
Translation
Lamb
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's Neoplatonic philosophy regarding the 'Circulatio' (divine circle) and the perfection of the sphere deeply influenced the popularity and symbolic meaning of the tondo format in Florentine art.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
GalleriX
3960 × 4000 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.