Die Muttergottes mit dem Jesuskind auf Wolken, umgeben von den Heiligen Antonius von Padua und Franziskus sowie zwei weiteren Heiligen 

Antonio Balestra rendered this drawing of the Virgin and Child with Saints using red chalk. Mary and the Christ Child hover above Saints Anthony of Padua and Francis, among others. The motif of the Madonna and Child is a potent symbol, its roots stretching back to antiquity. Consider the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis cradling her son Horus—an archetype of motherhood and divine protection. The pose of the Virgin Mary echoes through time, a testament to enduring human needs and emotions. Note the saints’ upturned gazes: this gesture, repeated across centuries, signifies religious ecstasy, and the yearning for divine connection. These visual threads connect us to the past. The image has a strong emotional appeal. It invites us to reflect on the continuous cycle of human experience, on symbols and emotional expressions that consistently reappear.