Description of the painting by Sandro Botticelli “Madonna Magnificat”

Description of the painting by Sandro Botticelli Madonna Magnificat

Artist Sandro Botticelli – one of the most prominent representatives of the Renaissance. The name comes from the initial words of the prayer of Our Lady, written in an open book, which she obscures with her hand.

The baby Jesus sitting on her lap, with her left hand he squeezes a pomegranate apple, symbolizing eternal life, which he gives to people, with his right hand leads the hand of the holy mother, and she records the prayer. Three boys sitting beside Madonna and Child hold a book with an inkwell in front of them, and the other two, angels, lift the crown above Madonna in the rays of the shining sun. The figured composition is very finely drawn into the space of a circle.

The refined lines of the hands that surround the infant are a kind of continuation of the gesture of the hand that one angel begins and, through other figures, unite on the crown of Mary. Hands form a whole ring, repeating the contour of the canvas, in the center of this ring one can see a distant quiet landscape.

The clothes of the Madonna are canonical – a red cloak and a blue cape on top, her face, according to Botticelli, is the ideal of the beauty he sought in his works. She has a thin, white skin, oval, regular shape, face. Her whole pose, facial expression shows purity and integrity, her gentleness.

Thick golden curls, make an impression of a simple earthly girl, but toilet articles – a thin light veil on her head, a cape, beautifully embroidered robes – transform the model into the image of the holy Virgin. The entire canvas is permeated with grace and refinement, the meek and clean faces of the characters, hand gestures and postures of the figures – all show great skill and mastery of the painting technique, as well as the painter’s deep intention.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 2.50 out of 5)

Description of the painting by Sandro Botticelli “Madonna Magnificat”