The painting presents an intimate composition of the Madonna col Bambino type, characteristic of Florentine painting of the first third of the sixteenth century. The Madonna is shown seated against the background of a softly opening landscape; she tenderly supports the Christ Child, whose hands are joined at her breast, lending the scene not only maternal intimacy but also a subtle sense of sacred concentration. The gentle inclination of the Virgin’s head, the rounded modelling of the faces, the muted greenish-blue tonality of the distant landscape, and the warm red and yellow accents of the garments reveal a direct connection with the artistic milieu of Andrea del Sarto.

It is noteworthy that an old inscription reading “Andrea del Sarto” appears on the reverse of the painting; such an attribution cannot be entirely ruled out, since the work is indeed firmly situated within the Sarto tradition. However, an attribution to Domenico Puligo appears more convincing: the soft, somewhat sfumato-like modelling of form, the intimate lyricism of the figures, the restrained emotional register, and the characteristic rounded facial types are especially close to his manner and correspond exceptionally well with Puligo’s Madonna and Child in the Galleria Borghese.

Size: 58,5 x 42,5 cm.