Madonna della sedia 1518 - 1549

This is Servatius Raeven’s engraving after Raphael’s “Madonna della Sedia.” The image of Mary holding the Christ child, along with the infant John the Baptist, speaks to the religious culture of 16th-century Europe. Prints like these played a crucial role in disseminating artistic ideas across Europe. This print flattens Raphael's original composition and simplifies its complex arrangement of figures. But the print also makes the image accessible to a wider public, one that would likely have little access to paintings. Raeven’s engraving transforms Raphael’s painting into a portable and reproducible object. Its religious symbolism serves social functions and shapes collective beliefs. To truly understand this work, one must delve into the history of printmaking, the patronage system of the time, and the religious context in which it was created. Such research can help us understand the complex interplay between artistic production, social values, and institutional power.