PXL_20240329_221117802

Madonna of the Magnificat
About 1485-90

Alessandro Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli
Italian, Florence 1444/5-1510

Tempera, oil, and gold on panel

The Virgin Mary, seated on an elaborate throne, is writing the canticle “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (My soul doth magnify the Lord), which gives the painting its title. She inscribes the hymn in a precious book under the guidance of her son, who sits in her lap. Jesus touches a pomegranate, whose red seeds recall the blood he will later shed to save humankind, The sophisticated elegance of the clothing and hair, and the grace of Mary’s engrossed expression, have brought renown to this composition, whose figures embody an ideal of beauty that has become synonymous with Renaissance Florence,