Madonna and Child with a Serpent, 1605 by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Canvas Print - 10949-CMM
Location: Galleria Borghese, Rome, ItalyOriginal Size: 292 x 211 cm
Giclée Canvas Print | $54.67 USD
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By using the red up or down arrows, you have the option to proportionally increase or decrease the printed area in inches as per your preference.
*Max printing size: 53.9 x 39.3 in
*Max framing size: Long side up to 28"
"Madonna and Child with a Serpent" will be custom-printed for your order using the latest giclée printing technology. This technique ensures that the Canvas Print captures an exceptional level of detail, showcasing vibrant and vivid colors with remarkable clarity.
Our use of the finest quality, fine-textured canvas lends art reproductions a painting-like appearance. Combined with a satin-gloss coating, it delivers exceptional print outcomes, showcasing vivid colors, intricate details, deep blacks, and impeccable contrasts. The canvas structure is also highly compatible with canvas stretching frames, further enhancing its versatility.
To ensure proper stretching of the artwork on the stretcher-bar, we add additional blank borders around the printed area on all sides.
Our printing process utilizes cutting-edge technology and employs the Giclée printmaking method, ensuring exceptional quality. The colors undergo independent verification, guaranteeing a lifespan of over 100 years.
Please note that there are postal restrictions limiting the size of framed prints to a maximum of 28 inches along the longest side of the painting. If you desire a larger art print, we recommend utilizing the services of your local framing studio.
*It is important to mention that the framing option is unavailable for certain paintings, such as those with oval or round shapes.
If you select a frameless art print of "Madonna and Child with a Serpent" by Caravaggio, it will be prepared for shipment within 48 hours. However, if you prefer a framed artwork, the printing and framing process will typically require approximately 7-8 days before it is ready to be shipped.
We provide complimentary delivery for up to two unframed (rolled-up) art prints in a single order. Our standard delivery is free and typically takes 10-14 working days to arrive.
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All unframed art prints are delivered rolled up in secure postal tubes, ensuring their protection during transportation. Framed art prints, on the other hand, are shipped in cardboard packaging with additional corner protectors for added safety.
Painting Information
The story of this image begins with a clash between the artist’s gritty realism and the lofty expectations of church patrons. Painted in 1605-1606 for the altar of the Archconfraternity of the Papal Grooms, it was soon deemed unsuitable for its intended home. Eventually, Cardinal Scipione Borghese stepped in and acquired the piece. If one stands before it today at the Galleria Borghese, the dramatic interplay between earthbound subjects and sacred narrative remains as striking as ever.
Much of that drama is achieved through a calculated use of color. Look to the deep russet of the Madonna’s gown, which stands out like a subtle ember in an otherwise dark space. The gloom, punctuated by a beam of light, reveals each figure in pockets of illumination. This stark contrast emphasizes the tangible weight of flesh, especially in the Child’s small frame and the folds of drapery around his mother. One senses a hint of luminosity in the serpent coiled at their feet, as if it, too, shimmers in the glow of divine illumination.
Remarkably, the artist’s technique involved minimal preliminary sketches, a hallmark of his direct painting approach. Incisions on the canvas indicate he mapped out some essential outlines, yet the finished work retains an invigorating spontaneity. The shapes of limbs and drapery are shaped by vigorous brushwork rather than meticulous planning, resulting in a scene that looks bold rather than overly polished. The warm realism of the bare skin, particularly in the Child, scandalized some viewers in its day for its lifelike immediacy.
Compositional subtleties guide our eye through a triangular arrangement of forms anchored in the lower half of this large canvas, measuring 292 x 211 cm. We start with Saint Anne’s figure—aged and somewhat withdrawn—before our attention is drawn to the Madonna’s radiant garment and the center-stage Child. Finally, we settle on the serpent, symbolizing evil, pinned down by the Child’s foot in an overt display of theological victory.
For all its sacred purpose, the painting offers a deeply human vision of spiritual themes. The figures occupy an austere space, devoid of elaborate background architecture, which shifts focus onto their expressions and gestures. This unembellished setting also highlights the difference between conventional sanctity and the artist’s raw portrayal of devotion. Even centuries later, the tension between reverent subject matter and gritty realism remains a riveting aspect of this work’s enduring power.
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