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Madonna del Perdono

Madonna del Perdono is a marble relief attributed to Donatello and dated to 1457–1459. It comes from the destroyed Porta del Perdono of Siena Cathedral, demolished around 1660 to make room for Bernini’s Chapel of the Madonna del Voto. The work, now conserved in the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, shows the Madonna and Child surrounded by four cherubim within a tondo. Executed in stiacciato relief with blue-glass inlays, it uses subtle optical effects that enhance its depth when seen from the appropriate viewpoint. The Madonna’s face is sweet and melancholic, while the Child rests a hand on her neck with natural tenderness.

Madonna del Perdono relief showing a haloed mother holding a child, with cherubs in the background and a decorative border.
Madonna del Perdono by Donatello, a circular relief of the Virgin and Child with cherubim in the background.
February 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Madonna del Perdono relief showing the Madonna holding the child beneath a decorated arch
Madonna del Perdono, a circular relief of the Madonna holding the child.
July 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Madonna del Perdono relief showing the Madonna holding the child on her lap within a circular frame.
Madonna del Perdono, a circular relief of the Madonna and Child with a radiating decorative background.
September 2016 © José Luiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Madonna del Perdono stone relief showing a woman holding a child with halos and a decorative border
Madonna del Perdono, a circular stone relief of a woman holding a child with halos.
© · CC BY 2.5
Madonna del Perdono stone relief of the Madonna holding the Christ Child in a museum hall.
Madonna del Perdono, a relief of the Madonna and Child, displayed upright in a museum gallery.
May 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleMadonna del Perdono
TypeTondo relief sculpture
French nameLa Vierge du Pardon

Creator

Date of production1457–1459, probably 1457
Cherubs' authorshipProbably made by a collaborator
AttributionAttributed to Donatello
Probable place of productionSiena, Italy

Historical context

Commission contextMade for the unfinished bronze doors project for Siena Cathedral

Discovery and provenance

OriginFrom the destroyed Porta del Perdono of Siena Cathedral
Original location destruction dateAround 1660
Original location destruction reasonDemolished to make room for Bernini's Chapel of the Madonna del Voto
Related chapelChapel of the Madonna del Voto
Related architectGian Lorenzo Bernini

Location and ownership

Current locationMuseo dell'Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, Siena

Physical characteristics

FormRound tondo
CompositionMadonna and Child with four cherubs

Materials

MaterialMarble with blue glass inlays

Technique

Relief techniqueStiacciato

Appearance

Relief depthVery low relief, with the background cherubs barely perceptible
Visual effectOptical corrections tied to the viewpoint create a convincing illusion of three-dimensional depth
Upper border detailThe upper edge of the tondo has glass inlays that create the impression of a caved-in or broken-through surface
Museum displayDisplayed at an angle in the museum to enhance the illusionistic effect

Iconography and meaning

Madonna's expressionSweet and melancholic
Madonna's meaningHer expression seems to foreshadow her son's painful fate, as in the Madonna Pazzi
Child's gestureJesus, partly hidden, rests his hand naturally and tenderly on his mother's neck
Cherubs' characterMore schematic than the main figures