Madonna of the people

Barocci painted the Madonna del Popolo (Madonna of the People) in 1579 for the confraternity of the Misericordia in Arezzo. This ambitious altarpiece shows the Virgin interceding with Christ on behalf of the poor and suffering people below, a subject reflecting the confraternity's charitable mission. The painting established Barocci as one of the most important religious painters in Italy and was enormously influential on Baroque art.

The monumental composition is organized in two zones: the heavenly realm above with Christ and the Virgin, and the crowd of supplicants below. Barocci's pastel palette and luminous sfumato create a mystical atmosphere, while individual faces in the crowd show remarkable naturalistic observation.