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| Madonna of the Rosary | |
|---|---|
| Italian:Madonna del Rosario | |
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| Artist | Caravaggio |
| Year | 1607 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 364.5 cm × 249.5 cm (143.5 in × 98.2 in) |
| Location | Kunsthistorisches Museum,Vienna |
TheMadonna of the Rosary is a painting finished in 1607 by theItalian Baroque painterCaravaggio, now in theKunsthistorisches Museum inVienna. It is the only painting by Caravaggio that could be called a standard Baroquealtarpiece.[1]
The commissioner of the work is uncertain. As altarpiece it would have been commissioned for aDominican church, given the presence ofSaint Dominic andSaint Peter Martyr of Verona.[1] The donor is included in the painting; at the left, dressed in black with a ruff, seeking protection under the cloak of Saint Dominic and peering out at the viewer.[2]
According to some, the donor was Nicholas Radulovic, a rich merchant ofRagusa (nowDubrovnik,Croatia) and the first idea for the composition was aMadonna Enthroned with Saints Nicholas and Vito, then the subject was changed to reflect the wishes of the Dominicans. According to others, and perhaps more likely, it was made to decorate the family chapel in theNeapolitan church ofSan Domenico Maggiore, commissioned by Luigi Carafa-Colonna, relative of Martino Colonna, Overlord of Palestrina, Zagarolo and Paliano, where the painter had taken refuge after escaping from Rome. The large column to the left may be a reference to theColonna family; it is linked to the big red drape that dominates the scene almost like a sail. The Feast of the Rosary was established in 1571 after the Battle of Lepanto, and Luigi Carafa-Colonna was a relative ofMarcantonio Colonna, a leading admiral in the battle. Another possibility isCesare d'Este,Duke of Modena.[2]
TheMadonna is seated on a throne, and seems to give assent with a wave of the hand to Saint Dominic who is dressed in his usual habit and holding a rosary. The faithful turn to him for grace, kneeling, with adonor portrait at far left, of a man in black with a ruff. On the right is StPeter Martyr with a large scar on his forehead (just like Caravaggio who was wounded in the head a few months earlier in the scuffle with Ranuccio Tommasoni and still had a visible scar), which indicates the Virgin who is out of the picture. Behind him are other Dominicans.
The painting was likely done between 8 January and mid-July 1607, that is between the completion of theSeven Works of Mercy and the departure of the painter forMalta. It is possible that something may have gone wrong with the original commission, as the painting was very soon on the market and bought by a Flemish consortium that includedRubens. After being offered toVincenzo I Gonzaga,Duke of Mantua, it was taken toAntwerp and offered to theDominican church there.[3] It is first mentioned in a letter byFrans Pourbus the Younger, a painter at thecourt of Mantua. On 15 September 1607 he wrote to his employer,Vincenzo I Gonzaga, the Duke of Mantua, that the painting was on the market in Naples for 400ducats.[4]
Media related toMadonna of the Rosary by Caravaggio at Wikimedia Commons