Balance and Harmony

The Madonna of the Meadow, 1505 or 1506, Inv. Nr. GG 175
Nowadays, and here in Florence, I dispense with my throne. Humbly I sit upon nature’s earth, though in a slightly elevated position.
Jesus has only recently taken his first steps on the soft grass, he treads elegantly as I support him lightly.
How soft and warm he feels.
His delicate hair is growing in nicely, his skin shimmers ivory white with his reddish cheeks providing a good match.
Adroitly I conceal what I sit upon, for here harmony is more important than earth-bound realism.


The Madonna of the Meadow, 1505 or 1506, Inv. Nr. GG 175

You see us in a softly drawn landscape with short grass that is perhaps interlaced with moss, bushes, a poppy flower, strawberries, trees, a lake on whose shore a town may be discerned, hills and mountains. An invisible sun illuminates the scene from a pale blue sky dotted with fair-weather clouds.
Jesus and John the Baptist share a toy: it is the cross upon which my son will die.
And it is pointed towards me.
I try not to think about his fate. Our close triangular relationship will stand the test of time.
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