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The Virgin sits in majesty on a carved wooden throne with the Christ Child on her lap. She draws his attention to a passage in the book on her knee. A string of coral beads ending in jewelled crosses like a rosary is suspended from the throne, a reminder of the blood Christ will shed at the Crucifixion. The Latin inscription, ‘SALVE MATER CHRISTI’ (‘Hail Mother of Christ’), would have acted as a prompt to the recitation of the rosary. John the Baptist points to the infant Christ and gazes at his own cross, in foreknowledge of Christ’s future death. Saint Nicholas concentrates on his book.
Raphael carefully calculated the geometry of the composition, using an incised grid to divide it horizontally and vertically into harmonious thirds before he began painting.
Title
The Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Nicholas of Bari (The Ansidei Madonna)
Date
1505
Medium
Oil on poplar
Measurements
H 216.8 x W 147.6 cm
Accession number
NG1171
Acquisition method
Bought, 1885
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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