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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis pen-and-ink drawing portrays the Virgin in profile, supporting the Christ Child who sits upright on her knees. The young Saint John the Baptist stands to the side in a prayerful pose, looking toward the infant Jesus. Fine cross-hatched lines define the forms and drapery, capturing a moment of quiet intimacy between the three figures.
The 'Raphaelesque' Madonna represents the High Renaissance ideal where physical beauty and geometric harmony serve as Neoplatonic vessels for divine grace. This visual language was influenced by humanist circles that sought to reconcile classical aesthetics with Christian theology, viewing earthly maternal love as a reflection of divine order.
1851
Marsilio Ficino
Raphael's harmonious compositions are often interpreted as the visual realization of Ficinian Neoplatonism, where the contemplation of physical beauty leads the soul toward the divine.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://digital-exhibits.library.nd.edu/2d498adc70/inventory-catalog-of-the-drawings-in-the-biblioteca-ambrosiana/search?q=Raffaello%20&view=list&facet[creator]=Raphael%20(attr)&facet[creator]=Raphael%20(imitator)
805 × 608 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.