Fabulous antique French Napoleon III era 6" tall Grand Tour style religious icon souvenir, ornate reticulated or pierced bronze or brass frame with silvered floral mat and hand painted depiction of Raphael's "Madonna della Seggiola" or "Madonna of the Chair" on a convex porcelain plaque! Nice size, too, this one stands an impressive 6" tall! Ornate shaped frame, reminiscent of an old nearly Gothic piece with its cross at the top and scrolled tendrils around the outer portions of the frame. The silvered bronze or brass mat also lovely with a field of slightly raised flowers & leaves. The miniature is hand painted on a convex porcelain plaque and is both beautifully done and vibrantly colored! The original Madonna della Seggiola or The Madonna della Sedia (28" in diameter) is an oil on panel painting by the High Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, executed c. 1513–1514, and housed at the Palazzo Pitti Collection in Florence, Italy. Although there is documentation on its arrival to its current location, Palazzo Pitti, it is still unknown who commissioned the painting; however, it has been in the Medici family since the 16th century. It depicts Mary embracing the Christ child while sitting in a chair as the young John the Baptist devoutly watches though the rendition you see here does not include the third subject. The Madonna della Seggiola is one of the single most important of Raphael's Madonnas. The painting also showcases Raphael's use of the tondo form and his naturalistic approach to depicting the Madonna. A lovely miniature here, don't miss it!
Very good condition. A few slight bends to the frame, nothing broken or missing though. No damage to the porcelain or painting. Original easel stand and hang ring on the back. See pictures for measurements.
