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◧ Medium: Oil painting
◧ Museum: The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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◧ Date of Issue: October 13, 2011
◧ Face Value: FOREVER
◧ Issued as a Christmas stamp
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Here is the painting description by the Walters Art Musuem for [Madonna of the Candelabra] created by Italian artist Raphael, one of three great masters of Italian Renaissance along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Painted in Rome, this tondo (circular painting) of the Virgin and Child employs a rare motif of flanking candelabra that was derived from representations of ancient Roman emperors. Through this reference to the rulers of antiquity, Raphael alludes to Christ's and Mary's roles as the king and queen of Heaven. (...) The painting relies heavily on the participation of Raphael's workshop, and the two angels certainly were done by his assistants.
The stamp art leaves out two angels "painted by his assistants" although you could see the glimpse of an angel to Madonna's right. When Raphael's painting [Madonna of the Candelabra] was purchased by Mr. Henry Walters of Baltimore, Maryland and crossed the Atlantic Ocean from London in 1901, "this was the first Madonna painted by Raphael to enter a North American collection" according to the Museum.
Over 30 paintings of "Madonna and Child" by Raphael are known to survive and below are a couple of other famous "tondo" (circular painting) by Raphael. All were painted in Rome.
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| Raphael circa 1510 [The Alba Madonna] National Gallery of Art, Washington DC |
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| Raphael 1514 [Madonna della seggiola] Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy |
