The Ansidei Madonna

Mary follows a passage in the book on her knee, drawing the child’s attention to its pages. Her high wooden throne places them above the two standing saints, but the shared act of reading gives the grand arrangement an intimate centre. Raphael painted this altarpiece in 1505 for the Ansidei family chapel in a church in Perugia. John the Baptist stands at one side with his cross, pointing towards Christ. Saint Nicholas, wearing a bishop’s mitre, concentrates on another book. Look for the string of coral beads suspended from the throne. Its red colour and small crosses recall the blood Christ will shed. Details like this link the young child to the future events Christians remembered at the altar below. Raphael planned the composition using a grid incised into the panel. The measured proportions help the figures and architecture feel settled within one space. After noticing the throne’s height, follow the hands and glances that bring your attention back towards the two readers.