Madonna of the Magnificat by Botticelli

Madonna of the Magnificat by Sandro Botticelli, 1483, is a circular tempera painting on wood panel of the Madonna with Christ Child in her lap holding a song book of the Magnificat, the Song of Mary. Surrounding them is a group of youths resembling angels, holding aloft a golden crown radiating light. The round format of the picture is known as a tondo, a format used in some Renaissance religious paintings. The harmonious blue robes and drapery opening onto a view of a cool, Italian landscape give the impression of an otherworldly scene, as if painted on a sphere. Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was a Florentine painter of the of the early Italian Renaissance who apprenticed under the master Filippo Lippi. With strong Gothic influences, the mature work of Botticelli reflected a study of antique classical sculpture and was noted for its linear grace and rhythm, flattened relief-like forms with strong contours, and subtle colouring. The complexity of meanings in Botticelli’s compositions, from sources drawn from classical antiquity, mythology and philosophy, enthraled scholars for centuries.