The Madonna of the Goldfinch

The Virgin of the Goldfinch was painted by Raphael for the wedding of his friend Lorenzo Nasi and Sandra di Matteo di Giovanni Canigiani. The painting depicts the Virgin seated on a rock, holding a book. Before her, Saint John the Baptist offers a goldfinch to Jesus. The composition is pyramidal, inspired by Leonardo’s paintings, with the Virgin at the apex of an imaginary triangle. The painting’s greatness and originality lie in the intimate, delicate atmosphere of the scene, which conveys beauty as balance, harmony, natural gestures, and serene spirituality. To transfer the three human figures from his preparatory sketches onto the wooden panel, Raphael used the spolvero technique. First, the original drawing was pricked along its outlines, then placed on the panel, and finally dusted with powdered pigment to transfer the design to the wood. However, the mountainous background and the bridge were painted freehand. In 1547, Lorenzo Nasi’s house collapsed, burying the artwork. Nasi’s son, Giovanbattista, managed to উদ্ধার the painting from the rubble. Fortunately, although the panel had broken into 17 pieces, it was possible to reassemble it. Between 1999 and February 2008, the painting underwent a lengthy restoration. Today, the Virgin of the Goldfinch is on display at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.