Raphael's Christ Child

Raphael captures a tender moment between Mary, Jesus, and the infant St. John the Baptist. St. John holds out a goldfinch, a symbol of Christ’s Passion[2], for Christ to look at.  Christ’s curving pose is unnaturally graceful and refined for a child and his face does not indicate the childish excitement one might expect from a young boy playing with an animal.  The knowing look Christ is giving to the bird indicates that he is aware of his eventual fate.  Raphael is taking steps towards portraying Christ with childlike characteristics, yet still indicating his divinity.

This painting of the Madonna and Child with St. John is another famous example of Raphael’s work.  The infant Christ lounges on Mary’s lap, and looks down towards St. John kneeling below.  All three figures have very faint halos above their heads.  The subtle halos reinforce the idea that Christ, Mary, and St. John are holy figures.  However, the halos are so faint that their divinity does not overwhelm the image: We are reminded that they are still human.  The emphasis on their humanity and the tenderness between the figures help the viewer connect with the parent-child relationship portrayed in the image.  The children exchange a meaningful stare as Christ reaches out and accepts the reed cross, indicating an acceptance of his future sacrifice.

Raphael emphasizes the bond between Mother and Child with the way he has positioned Christ in Mary’s lap.  Mary gently cradles the infant in one arm, holding up a prayer book she is reading in her other hand.  Christ looks over his shoulder at the viewer as he places a hand on the collar of Mary’s dress.  The scene captures a moment in time when Mary, while diligently reading from her prayer book, has been interrupted by her hungry child.  She gazes down tenderly at the child, contemplating her motherly duties to him.  Christ is portrayed in a humanistic manner, as this is a familiar image of motherhood in any era.  In contrast, the Alba Madonna portrays the infant Christ with adult characteristics.  Madonna Colonna reinforces Christ's infancy rather than his divinity. 

In this earlier work of Raphael’s, he presents the Madonna and Child sitting in front of a brick wall with a city in the background on a hill.  Mary’s bright red and blue clothing contrasts her and her son’s pale flesh.  The young Christ places his arms around his mother’s neck and turns his gaze to the viewer.  Mary’s graceful facial features are composed in a gaze that looks past the viewer.  There is a gentle quality in the way Christ places his small bare foot on Mary’s hand.  His graceful pose gives the impression of weightlessness, something that signifies his divine qualities.  Again, Mary and the Child are remarkably serene, indicating their holiness.