Madonna di Senigallia
Encyclopedia
The Madonna di Senigallia is a painting by the Italian Renaissance master Piero della Francesca
, finished around 1474. It is housed in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, in the Ducal Palace
of Urbino
.
From its small scale the painting was intended for private devotion. It was noticed for the first time in 1822 in the church of the Observant Franciscan convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli outside Senigallia
(Marche
), whence the current name. Senigallia was wrested from Sigismondo Malatesta
by Federico Montefeltro: both men were patrons of Piero. The commission was likely from or on behalf of Giovanni Della Rovere , betrothed in 1474 to Giovanna Montefeltro, at which time Federico invested Giovanni with Senigallia. Following its rediscovery the painting was taken to the Ducal Palace, Urbino.
The 1990s restoration showed the high quality of Piero della Francesca's treatment of light, as well as the influence of Flemish masters on it, both in its oil on panel medium and in details such as the basket with linen gauze, the coral and the fabric covering the Madonna's head. The light, which realistically enters from the window on the left, is a symbol of the Virgin's conception. The linen in the basket is instead an allusion to her purity, while the case for hosts in the shelf and the coral hanging from Jesus' necklace both hint to the Eucharist
sacrifice. The staring, thoughtful immobility of all the characters would be also an allusion to the latter.
Piero della Francesca
Piero della Francesca was a painter of the Early Renaissance. As testified by Giorgio Vasari in his Lives of the Artists, to contemporaries he was also known as a mathematician and geometer. Nowadays Piero della Francesca is chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting was characterized by its...
, finished around 1474. It is housed in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, in the Ducal Palace
Palazzo Ducale, Urbino
The Ducal Palace is a Renaissance building in the Italian city of Urbino in the Marche. One of the most important monuments in Italy, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.-History:...
of Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
.
From its small scale the painting was intended for private devotion. It was noticed for the first time in 1822 in the church of the Observant Franciscan convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli outside Senigallia
Senigallia
Senigallia is a comune and port town on Italy's Adriatic coast, 25 km by rail north of Ancona, in the Marche region, province of Ancona....
(Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
), whence the current name. Senigallia was wrested from Sigismondo Malatesta
Sigismondo Malatesta
Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta , popularly known as the Wolf of Rimini, was an Italian condottiero and nobleman, a member of the House of Malatesta and lord of Rimini, Fano, and Cesena from 1432...
by Federico Montefeltro: both men were patrons of Piero. The commission was likely from or on behalf of Giovanni Della Rovere , betrothed in 1474 to Giovanna Montefeltro, at which time Federico invested Giovanni with Senigallia. Following its rediscovery the painting was taken to the Ducal Palace, Urbino.
The 1990s restoration showed the high quality of Piero della Francesca's treatment of light, as well as the influence of Flemish masters on it, both in its oil on panel medium and in details such as the basket with linen gauze, the coral and the fabric covering the Madonna's head. The light, which realistically enters from the window on the left, is a symbol of the Virgin's conception. The linen in the basket is instead an allusion to her purity, while the case for hosts in the shelf and the coral hanging from Jesus' necklace both hint to the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
sacrifice. The staring, thoughtful immobility of all the characters would be also an allusion to the latter.