Madonna and Child

1490s

Francesco Francia's sweet and serene Madonna gazes out with a gentle melancholy, cradling a chubby, blessing baby Jesus on her lap. Notice the tiny goldfinch in the child's hand—a classic Renaissance symbol of Christ's future passion—and the open book of music resting on Mary's knee. Painted in the 1490s, this piece showcases the artist's signature smooth, porcelain-like skin tones that were so admired in Bologna that the young Raphael reportedly wrote him a fan letter praising his work!

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