Detail of The Virgin and Child Enthroned by Sandro Botticelli

This intensely spiritual and intimate detail, painted by the illustrious artist Sandro Botticelli, invites the viewer to contemplate the sacred relationship uniting mother and child. Provisionally designated under the title “The Virgin and Child Enthroned*”, this close composition highlights maternal tenderness within a plant sanctuary of great visual poetry. The artist expresses the ideal of virginal beauty of the Florentine Renaissance, imbued with melancholy and deep spiritual sensitivity.

The delicate face of the Virgin Mary is tilted towards the Infant Jesus whom she holds on her knees. Her long blonde hair is veiled in a fine translucent fabric. She wears a red robe embroidered with gold and a navy blue cloak. Her slender hands support the plump body of the newborn dressed in a simple white drape. The Child, with his gaze turned towards the sky, joyfully raises his arms towards his mother. Behind them stands a throne crowned with braided palm branches. This sanctuary is surrounded by flowering white lilies and olive branches.

The exceptional craftsmanship of the artist is manifested in the infinite delicacy of the features of the Virgin’s face and the transparency of the veil. His mastery of glazes makes it possible to render with incomparable softness the complexion of the Child and the golden brilliance of the radiant halos.