Bargellini Madonna

(1588; Bologna, Pinacoteca Nazionale)

   Created by Ludovico Carracci for the Capppella Boncompagni in the Church of the Monache Convertite in Bologna, the Bargellini Madonna borrows its composition from Titian's Madonna of the Pesaro Family (c. 1519-1526; Venice, Santa Maria dei Frari). As in the Venetian prototype, Ludovico's shows the enthroned Virgin and Child elevated and to the side with saints Dominic, Francis, Martha, and Mary Magdalen at their feet, putti hovering above, and columns framing the scene. The monumentality of the figures, their closeness to the viewer, and the emotional component of the work, on the other hand, are Ludovico's own choices. These elements add a greater sense of immediacy to the figures depicted—a Baroque characteristic. Several figures point to the Virgin in grand gestures to bring her to the viewer's attention, while two putti crown her with a flowered wreath and angels play musical instruments, granting the work a celebratory mood. In turn, the Virgin looks directly at the viewer as if to denote her availability as the intercessor between humanity and God. In the background is a portrait of the city of Bologna set against a luminous blue sky, included to situate the scene in a locale familiar to viewers and to denote that theirs is a city that receives the Virgin's blessing and protection.