Woman in red seated in a meadow, one child standing at her side and another kneeling, before a lake and mountains

La Belle Jardinière

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What you see

Mary sits in a meadow and looks down at the young Jesus, who leans against her knee and holds her hand. On the right, John, also a child, kneels with a slender cross and gazes up at him. The three form a clear pyramid, with Mary’s head at the top. Behind them stretches a wide landscape with a lake, blue mountains and a town.

The red dress and dark mantle stand out against a sky with white clouds. The light is soft and even, without harsh shadows. Seek out the nearly invisible halos, drawn with a single fine line, the book in Mary’s hand, the flowers in the foreground and the town with towers on the right.

About Raphael

Raphael Sanzio was born in Urbino and learned painting very young from his father, who was also a painter. His gentle Madonnas and harmonious compositions made him famous in Florence and Rome, where he decorated the pope’s rooms. He lived only 37 years but left an enormous body of work.

All 11 works by Raphael