The Madonna of the Goldfinch, after the original in the Uffizi by Raffaello Santi, oil on canvas, 107 x 76 cm, handcarved frame, (Rei)

Raffaello Santi created the original painting in around 1505. It has been preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence since 1666 at the latest. It depicts Mary with the Christ child and John the Baptist;
in the background, a city with towers and walls is visible before a mountain landscape. John (recognisable by his fur robe and nut half) is holding a goldfinch, which Jesus tries to seize with elegant poise. The goldfinch, with a red dot on its head, symbolises Jesus’ Passion. According to legend, during the crucifixion the bird flew over the head of Christ and plucked a thorn from his crown;
its face was splashed with blood as a result. However, these thoughts are dispelled by the carefree-looking children and Mary's loving gaze. The image of Mary was significantly damaged in 1548, braking into 17 separate pieces. It was later preserved through extensive restoration. Raphael (1483-1520) was born in Urbino and is considered one of the most important representatives of Italy’s High Renaissance. In addition to the aforementioned work, he painted two similar versions (including the Madonna of the Meadow exhibited in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna). Numerous copyists were also inspired by this motif and often made their copies on canvas (whereas the original is painted on wood). The present painting has exactly the same dimensions as the original. In the frame there is also a small copy of a famous self-portrait of Raphael, which preserved is in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.