Although Raphael died suddenly at only 37 years of age, he was one of the most important artists of his time, thanks in part to his ability to learn the techniques of his colleagues and even improve on them.
An example of this is the Madonna of the Goldfinch, painted when he was only twenty-two years old, partly under the influence of Leonardo da Vinci. Of the latter, in fact, he had admired the idea of arranging the figures in a pyramidal composition, giving the right prominence to each character.
The painting takes its name from the bird that St John, on the left, holds out to the Child Jesus. You should know that in artwork the goldfinch, as well as the robin, symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus, who died on the cross. According to one legend, goldfinches, finches and robins have red spotted coats because they were hurt as they tried to remove the thorns from Christ's forehead during his martyrdom.
The image in front of you is seemingly serene, with a loving Mary in the center who seems to be looking after the two children at her feet, Jesus on the right, with one little foot resting on his mother's, as if asking for protection, and John, dressed in a cloth tied with a rope, reminiscent of the robes he will wear when he is known as John the Baptist. Mary turns her gaze towards John and places her hand on his back, as if to protect him, while the child hands Jesus the goldfinch.
In reality, the scene is charged with the sad foreboding of Jesus' Passion, symbolized by Mary's red dress and the little bird that Jesus caresses, as if accepting his fate. The Blessed Virgin, however, is supported by great faith, represented by the Gospel she holds in her hand.
Here’s an interesting fact: This painting has had a troubled history. Created for the wealthy merchant Lorenzo Nasi on the occasion of his wedding, it suffered extensive damage in 1547 when, due to a landslide, Nasi's palace collapsed. The work broke into seventeen parts, but was carefully restored by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, who had been a pupil of Raphael, who had been dead for almost thirty years.
Language: English