Colonna Madonna
by RAFFAELLO Sanzio, Oil on wood, 77 x 56 cm
The Colonna Madonna is named for that Roman princely and papal family. Painted c. 1508, Raphael’s first year in Rome, its colouring is remarkably blond; a similar tonality throughout suggests that the painting may not be entirely finished. Mary is distracted from her reading by Jesus. He looks to the spectator while reaching for her neckline, clearly wanting to nurse. A complex torsion to these figures is a far cry from the complacent, static world of Perugino.