Where Is Madonna of the Palafrenieri (Madonna and Child

Q: Why was Madonna of the Palafrenieri removed from St. Peter's?

The painting's naturalism offended Church officials. Mary's low neckline, Christ's naked body, and the aged Saint Anne seemed inappropriate for a papal basilica.

Q: Who were the palafrenieri?

The palafrenieri were papal grooms who cared for the pope's horses. They had a confraternity chapel in St. Peter's, for which they commissioned this altarpiece.

Q: What is the serpent symbolizing?

The serpent represents sin or heresy being crushed underfoot. Mary and Christ trampling the snake illustrates the Virgin's role in salvation and Christ's victory over evil.

Caravaggio rendered this Madonna of the Palafrenieri in 1606 for an altar in St. Peter's Basilica. The papal grooms (palafrenieri) commissioned it for their chapel, but the painting was removed within weeks. Its frank naturalism offended Vatican sensibilities.

The Virgin Mary and young Christ press their feet on a serpent (symbolizing sin or heresy), assisted by St. Anne. Mary's low neckline, Christ's nakedness, and Anne's elderly appearance disturbed viewers accustomed to idealized sacred figures. Cardinal Scipione Borghese quickly purchased the rejected altarpiece. Caravaggio painted real people: a Roman prostitute reportedly modeled for Mary. It hangs in the Borghese Gallery.

The painting's naturalism offended Church officials. Mary's low neckline, Christ's naked body, and the aged Saint Anne seemed inappropriate for a papal basilica.

The palafrenieri were papal grooms who cared for the pope's horses. They had a confraternity chapel in St. Peter's, for which they commissioned this altarpiece.

The serpent represents sin or heresy being crushed underfoot. Mary and Christ trampling the snake illustrates the Virgin's role in salvation and Christ's victory over evil.

Madonna of the Palafrenieri (Madonna and Child with St. Anne)

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The Artist

More by Caravaggio

John the Baptist

Young Sick Bacchus

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

The Entombment of Christ

Also at Borghese Gallery, Rome

Sacred and Profane Love

Young Sick Bacchus

Melissa (Circe)

Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix

Related Baroque Works

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Girl with the Red Hat

Girl with a Pearl Earring

Laocoön

The Lacemaker

Woman Holding a Balance

Woman Reading a Letter

The Rokeby Venus

About Madonna of the Palafrenieri (Madonna and Child with St. Anne)

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