Madonna Adoring the Child with Five Angels 1485 - 1490

Sandro Botticelli created this circular painting, *Madonna Adoring the Child with Five Angels*, with tempera on panel. Notice the visual harmony between the figures and the landscape, which is achieved through a refined composition. Botticelli uses a limited palette, emphasizing blues, reds, and golds, creating a serene and ethereal atmosphere. The Madonna is centralized, and her gaze is directed downwards to the child, drawing our eyes with her. The artist uses line to define forms, creating an almost sculptural quality. The arrangement of the figures around the Madonna and Child forms a semi-circle, which helps to emphasize the intimacy of the scene. The facial expressions of the angels and Mary, the delicate rendering of fabrics, and the subtle use of light and shadow show careful attention to detail. In the semiotics of Renaissance art, each element carries symbolic weight, from the colors used to the gestures and expressions of the figures. This painting reflects the cultural values of its time, combining religious devotion with humanist ideals of beauty and harmony.