Why it matters
Painted during Raphael's Florentine period, the Madonna of the Goldfinch shows the Virgin with the young John the Baptist offering a goldfinch to the Christ Child. It shares its pyramidal composition and natural background with his Madonna of the Meadow and La belle jardinière.
Did you know?
- It was painted around 1505–1506 in oil on wood.
- A 10-year restoration was completed in 2008.
- An antique copy hung in its place during the restoration.
Based on the Wikipedia article Madonna del Cardellino (CC BY-SA 4.0).
