Enthroned Madonna, St. Jerome and St. Sebastian 1490

Carlo Crivelli painted this enthroned Madonna with Saints Jerome and Sebastian, but its exact date remains unknown. The Madonna, as the 'Seat of Wisdom', is prominently enthroned, symbolizing divine authority and grace. Saint Jerome holds a model of a church, representing his work in translating the Bible, while Saint Sebastian, pierced with arrows, embodies endurance and faith in the face of suffering. Consider the fruit beneath the Madonna: a symbol of fertility, abundance, and, paradoxically, the Fall. The fruit motif appears across diverse art, from classical cornucopias to Renaissance still lifes, each time imbued with shifting cultural meanings. Here, the fruit serves to remind us of the cyclical nature of life, death, and redemption. These symbols have been transmitted, transformed, and reinterpreted across centuries, underscoring the enduring human quest for meaning.