19th century | Oil on copper
Image diameter: 33.5 cm (13.25 inches)
Frame dimensions: 51 cm × 51 cm (20 inches × 20 inches)
This exquisite 19th-century oil on copper is a refined interpretation, typical of the Grand Tour era, of Raphael’s legendary Madonna of the Grand Duke. The original masterpiece, housed in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, was a cornerstone of European artistic education and was frequently commissioned by wealthy travelers as a cherished souvenir of their journeys through Italy.
The artist has masterfully utilized the copper support to achieve a luminous, enamel-like finish that captures the softness of the transitions and the richness of the original’s color palette. The composition depicts the Virgin Mary, dressed in her iconic green shawl and crimson sleeves, tenderly embracing the Christ Child, while the young Saint John the Baptist observes from the shadows.
This intimate tondo (circular composition) is housed in an imposing 19th-century gilded frame that lends the work a majestic presence. The frame itself is a remarkable piece, adorned with deep relief carvings of floral motifs and scrolling acanthus leaves, with decorative spandrels that create a stately square presentation.
