Madonna Casini 1426

Masaccio painted this Madonna Casini with tempera on wood, capturing a tender moment steeped in symbolic weight. Note the Madonna’s dark blue mantle; a colour and garment traditionally associated with royalty and the divine. It signifies her role as the Queen of Heaven, but also speaks to her humanity, her sorrow. The Madonna’s downcast gaze draws our attention to the Christ Child, who wears a coral necklace, a symbol believed to ward off evil. This protective amulet connects us to a practice found in ancient cultures. The halos, of course, mark their sacred status, yet they also appear as discs. One is reminded of ancient sun disks, a pagan symbol of power and divinity that now, in this Christian context, merges with new meanings of holiness. This image, heavy with cultural memory, draws us in, reminding us that symbols are never static. They are constantly evolving in a timeless dance.