La belle jardinière
La belle jardinière | |
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Artist | Raphael |
Year | 1507-1508 |
Medium | Oil on panel |
Dimensions | 122 cm × 80 cm (48 in × 31+1⁄2 in) |
Location | Louvre, Paris |
La Belle Jardinière, also known as the Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist, is a
History
This painting is considered one of the most famous Madonna portraits of Italian Renaissance painter, Raphael. Many art historians believe that this painting is the peak of Raphael's achievements and one of his strongest pieces from his Florentine phase.
Raphael was unable to complete this painting before he left Florence. It was later finished by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio.[2] Ghirlandaio is especially credited for completing the blue robe of Mary. The painting was later taken to Paris by King Francis I of France, where it gained in popularity and was copied by many other artists.[1]
Description
The painting portrays
Analysis
One of this painting's defining features is the Madonna. She is the focus of the painting.[2] She has a protective arm around Christ as he looks up at her while standing on one of her feet, showing a sense of dependency and childlike trust.[4] On the other side kneels John the Baptist holding one of the two religious symbols seen in the work. Raphael diverged from the previous practice of placing multiple religious symbols in a piece. Instead he combines religious iconography and beautiful landscapes to show both humanism and the teaching of the Catholic Church. The other religious symbol seen is the faint halos that disappeared as artists entered the High Renaissance. The book that the Madonna is holding is believed to contain the foretelling of Christ's death.[4] The way Raphael composed the painting creates a sense of intimacy between Mary and Christ, with John the Baptist as witness. The positions of Mary and Christ, and to a lesser extent John the Baptist, serve as a prefiguration of the Passion and eventual death of Christ.[5] The book Mary hold tells of these eventual events.
Style
Raphael studied the works of
The painting echoes the spacious landscapes of Pietro Perugino. He also utilized the popular pyramid composition common with art in the High Renaissance as well as the sfumato technique. Another feature seen in La Belle Jardinière is the highly idealized beauty and grace of the Madonna. Despite taking inspiration from other artist, Raphael was able to move past just recreating others works and add his own styles to benefit his works.[6]
Other Pictures
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Madonna of the Meadow
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Madonna of the Goldfinch
See also
References
External videos | |
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Raphael's La belle jardinière, Smarthistory |
- ^ a b "La Belle Jardinière (Raphaël)", Wikipédia (in French), 2019-02-20, retrieved 2019-04-12
- ^ a b c "La Belle Jardiniere by Raphael". www.thehistoryofart.org. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
- ^ Unknown ·. "La Belle Jardinière - A Raphael case study". Retrieved 2019-04-12.
- ^ a b Raphael, La belle jardinière, retrieved 2019-04-12
- ^ Hirsch, Lauren. "Style and Emulation in the Renaissance of New Spain". The Eagle Feather. Archived from the original on 2018-06-03. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
- ^ a b "The World's Famous Pictures". The World's Famous Pictures. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-04-12.
- ^ "Belle Jardinière", Wikipedia (in Italian), 2010-12-18, retrieved 2019-04-25
Further reading
- Beck, James H. (1976). "La Belle Jardinière". Raphael. New York: Harry N. Abrams. pp. 112–113. LCCN 73-12198.
External links
- Media related to La Belle Jardinière - Raphael - Louvre INV 602 at Wikimedia Commons