Painting on porcelain
“Madonna of Seggiola”. Tribute to Raphael
In the 19th century, Raphael's masterpieces left museums to enter refined homes through high-quality copies. This porcelain composition testifies to the enduring admiration for the Italian Renaissance and the desire to bring its masterpieces to life in everyday décor.
- Description
Description
“Madonna of Seggiola”. Tribute to Raphael
Polychrome porcelain.
Carved wood, gilded with gold leaf.
Italy, late 19th century.
Copy from Madonna of the Chair by Raphael (circa 1514, Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence).
Diameter of the porcelain plate: 35 cm.
Dimensions with frame: 50 × 50 cm.
On the reverse of the plaque: the artist's initials, the names and dates of life of the successive owners, an old shop label, and a handwritten inscription indicating the purchase of the work in Italy in 1913.
Condition: very good condition.
“Madonna in the world” takes on the meaning of the song itself произведений Рафаэля Санти, созданных в зрелый период его творчества около 1514 года. В отличие от многих торжественных алтарных композиций эпохи Возрождения, здесь художник создал удивительно камерный и человеческий образ. Богоматерь нежно прижимает к себе Младенца Христа, а юный Иоанн Creation is blagogoveniem склоняется рядом. Замкнутая крущение единства, любви и внутренней гармонии.
In the second half of the 19th century, Europe rediscovered the great Italian masters of the Renaissance with great enthusiasm. Italy became an essential stop on the Grand Tour, and works inspired by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Titian found their way into the homes of art lovers. High-quality copies, created by painters and ceramicists, allowed people to admire compositions from the most prestigious Italian collections in their own homes.
This interpretation on porcelain demonstrates remarkable technical mastery. The polychrome painting delicately reproduces the modeling of the faces, the softness of the flesh tones, and the chromatic balance that characterize the original. The circular format of the plaque naturally echoes that of the tondo, a form favored by Raphael for this composition and emblematic of the Italian Renaissance.
The finely carved wooden frame, entirely gilded with gold leaf, harmoniously complements the piece. Its openwork decoration of scrolls, acanthus leaves, and arabesques reflects the ornamental tradition of the Renaissance, revisited by late 19th-century Italian decorative arts. It enhances the composition without distracting from it and lends the work a remarkable decorative presence.
The historical significance of this piece is enhanced by the numerous inscriptions preserved on the reverse of the porcelain plaque. These include the artist's initials, the names of several owners along with their dates of birth and death, an old dealer's label, and a handwritten inscription attesting to the work's purchase in Italy in 1913. This collection of information provides invaluable provenance data and allows us to trace the object's history over more than a century, adding a truly documentary dimension to its artistic value.
