Fine Art Poster
From $39
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
The Alba Madonna - Raphael
Regular price
$39.00 USD
Sale price
$39.00 USD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
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Made to order
Description
A circular High Renaissance masterpiece by Raphael, depicting the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ and John the Baptist in a serene, balanced composition.
The Alba Madonna is a circular painting, or tondo, produced by Raphael during his Roman period. It depicts the Virgin Mary seated in a rural setting, accompanied by the infant Christ and the young John the Baptist. The composition is organised around a complex, interlocking arrangement of the three figures, which creates a sense of unity and balance. The Virgin Mary holds a book in her left hand, while her right arm reaches towards the infant Christ. The child reaches for a cross held by John the Baptist, a gesture that prefigures the future passion of Christ.
Raphael employs a soft, sfumato technique to model the figures, allowing for smooth transitions between light and shadow. This approach gives the skin tones a naturalistic quality. The drapery of the Virgin's robes, rendered in deep blue and rose, provides a contrast to the pale flesh of the children. The background features a serene, open view of the Italian countryside, with distant hills and a river, which adds depth to the scene. The circular format of the panel requires a careful distribution of weight and form, which Raphael achieves by curving the bodies of the figures to follow the perimeter of the frame.
This work demonstrates the artist's mastery of classical proportion and human expression. The gazes of the figures are directed towards one another, creating an internal narrative that draws the viewer into their quiet interaction. The painting was originally commissioned for the church of San Domenico in Nocera de' Pagani. It later became part of the collection of the Dukes of Alba in Spain, from which it derives its common name. The work is now housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains a representative example of the technical precision and aesthetic harmony associated with the High Renaissance.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Complete The Look
The Alba Madonna - Raphael
Regular price
From $39.00 USD
Sale price
From $39.00 USD
Regular price
Fine Art Poster / Small Square (30x30 cm) / -
Artist Biography
Raphael
Raphael died on his birthday, at thirty-seven. Good Friday, 6 April 1520. He had been working himself to exhaustion on simultaneous commissions for the Pope, the Vatican, and half the Roman aristocracy. The fever that killed him may have been made worse by the bloodletting his doctors prescribed. He was the most famous artist in Europe. His funeral procession passed through streets lined with mourners and his unfinished painting, The Transfiguration, was placed at the head of his bier.
He was born in Urbino, the son of a painter. His father died when he was eleven, and by his teens he was already working in the studio of Perugino, whose smooth, symmetrical compositions gave Raphael his starting point. He surpassed Perugino quickly. He studied Leonardo's sfumato and Michelangelo's anatomical intensity and absorbed both without losing his own clarity. The Madonnas from his Florentine period (the Madonna of the Goldfinch, the Sistine Madonna) have a serene perfection that has been imitated for five hundred years and never matched.
Pope Julius II summoned him to Rome in 1508, the same year he commissioned Michelangelo for the Sistine ceiling. Raphael painted the Stanze della Segnatura: four rooms in the Vatican whose frescoes include The School of Athens, the single most famous image of classical philosophy. Plato and Aristotle walk through an ideal architecture surrounded by every major thinker of the ancient world. Raphael painted Michelangelo into the scene as Heraclitus, brooding alone on the steps. Michelangelo was furious.
He ran a large workshop that produced portraits, altarpieces, tapestry designs, and architectural plans. He was appointed architect of St Peter's Basilica. He was charming, diplomatic, and universally liked, which made Michelangelo dislike him even more.
He was born in Urbino, the son of a painter. His father died when he was eleven, and by his teens he was already working in the studio of Perugino, whose smooth, symmetrical compositions gave Raphael his starting point. He surpassed Perugino quickly. He studied Leonardo's sfumato and Michelangelo's anatomical intensity and absorbed both without losing his own clarity. The Madonnas from his Florentine period (the Madonna of the Goldfinch, the Sistine Madonna) have a serene perfection that has been imitated for five hundred years and never matched.
Pope Julius II summoned him to Rome in 1508, the same year he commissioned Michelangelo for the Sistine ceiling. Raphael painted the Stanze della Segnatura: four rooms in the Vatican whose frescoes include The School of Athens, the single most famous image of classical philosophy. Plato and Aristotle walk through an ideal architecture surrounded by every major thinker of the ancient world. Raphael painted Michelangelo into the scene as Heraclitus, brooding alone on the steps. Michelangelo was furious.
He ran a large workshop that produced portraits, altarpieces, tapestry designs, and architectural plans. He was appointed architect of St Peter's Basilica. He was charming, diplomatic, and universally liked, which made Michelangelo dislike him even more.
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Every piece is printed to order. These are the five finishes, and what makes each one different.
Fine Art Framed
From $119
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
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