Fotoreproductie van het schilderij Madonna del Granduca door Rafaël in de Galleria Palatina te Florence 1852 - 1900

This is a photographic reproduction by Fratelli Alinari of Raphael’s painting “Madonna del Granduca,” which resides in the Galleria Palatina in Florence. Here, Mary cradles the infant Christ, both figures adorned with halos, symbols of divine light and sanctity. The Madonna’s tender gesture, supporting her child, echoes across centuries, harking back to ancient depictions of maternal goddesses. Consider the ancient Egyptian Isis nursing Horus – a parallel not merely coincidental, but indicative of a deeper, archetypal resonance. The halo, too, has a rich lineage. Before its Christian adoption, it symbolized power and divinity in pagan Rome and ancient Greece, adorning emperors and gods alike. Its evolution from secular authority to religious sanctity illustrates the fascinating shifts in cultural values and the continuous reinvention of symbols. This image, laden with such history, engages us on a profound, subconscious level. The cyclical nature of these symbols reminds us that history is not linear, but a perpetual return, each era reinterpreting the past.