The Madonna Of The Pinks By Raphael, Oil Painting

"The Madonna of Rosa" by Raphael depicts the Virgin Mary playing with the Christ child and giving him carnations. The Italian title is the Madonna of the Carnation. The botanical name of these flowers is Dianthus, which means "flower of God" in Greek. The sunny landscape through the arched window shows a ruined building that symbolizes the collapse of the pagan world at the birth of Christ. The dimly lit room image shows the influence of Dutch art on this painting.

This masterpiece is a relatively small devotion painted for Christian contemplation, and its owner could have held the painting in his hand. Raphael has transformed this familiar theme from the earlier formal, rigid images of earlier traditions into a new approach to celebrate the tender feelings between a young mother and her child.