Why it matters
The Virgin sits in a flowering garden with the Christ Child at her feet and the young John the Baptist kneeling beside her, in a pyramid composition. Raphael had to leave it unfinished when he left Florence, and Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio completed it.
Did you know?
- It was probably commissioned by Fabrizio Sergardi of Siena around 1507.
- Ghirlandaio is credited with finishing Mary's blue robe.
- King Francis I brought it to Paris, where it was copied by many artists.
Based on the Wikipedia article La belle jardinière (CC BY-SA 4.0).
