Madonna della Vallicella
Peter Paul Rubens·1608
Historical Context
Rubens painted the Madonna della Vallicella in 1608 for the Chiesa Nuova (Santa Maria in Vallicella) in Rome, his most important Italian commission. The original altarpiece was rejected because reflections on the surface made it difficult to see, so Rubens devised an innovative solution: a painting on slate flanked by two canvases on panel. This technical ingenuity demonstrated the practical problem-solving that complemented Rubens's artistic genius. The commission came through the Oratorian fathers and established Rubens's reputation at the highest levels of Roman patronage just before his return to Antwerp.
Technical Analysis
Ribera renders the extraordinary subject with characteristic clinical precision, treating Magdalena's masculine features and female body with unflinching naturalism. The dark background and strong lighting typical of his Caravaggesque style focus attention on the figures.
Look Closer
- ◆This unusual composition was designed to be viewed from below on the high altar of Santa Maria in Vallicella, Rome — the steep perspective is intentional
- ◆The Madonna and Child appear on a tablet of slate or stone, a reference to the miraculous icon this altarpiece was meant to frame
- ◆Angels support the image from below and flank it with gestures of veneration, creating an elaborate devotional apparatus
- ◆Rubens painted this immediately after returning to Italy, securing a prestigious Roman commission while still in his twenties
Condition & Conservation
This is one of Rubens's most important early commissions, painted for the Chiesa Nuova (Santa Maria in Vallicella) in Rome. Rubens famously repainted the work when the original canvas caused glare problems. The painting on slate was Rubens's solution. It has been restored multiple times, most recently in the 20th century.
