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Not on display
This is an entirely characteristic work by the artist. Giovanni Santi, Raphael's father, was also a poet at the Court of Urbino.
The distant landscape in the background is reminiscent of Domenico Ghirlandaio, while the sleeping child may be based on a 'Virgin and Child' by Giovanni Bellini (Boston, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum).
Christ wears a necklace made from coral, perhaps reflecting the belief that coral has healing properties. It is often seen in images of the Virgin and Child.
The distant landscape in the background is reminiscent of Domenico Ghirlandaio, while the sleeping child may be based on a 'Virgin and Child' by Giovanni Bellini (Boston, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum).
Christ wears a necklace made from coral, perhaps reflecting the belief that coral has healing properties. It is often seen in images of the Virgin and Child.
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The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN