It is the most famous goldfinch in art history.
St. John hands it to Jesus with a tender gesture, typical of childhood, while Mary watches the children from above.
The goldfinch is a small sparrow with a characteristic livery in red, the colour of Christ's Passion.
The Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael had an unhappy history. The house that originally hosted it collapsed due to a landslide a few years after its construction and the painting underwent a long and troublesome restoration. One of the most famous works by Raphael thus became a symbol of reconstruction, in defense of a beauty that always shines again despite everything.
Mary, Christ and the young John the Baptist, known as the “Madonna of the Goldfinch”
Raffaello Sanzio (Urbino 1483 – Roma 1520)
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