Giulio Bonasone - Engraver, Michelangelo Buonarroti - Inventor - The Holy Family
The drawing on which this engraving was modelled depicts the Madonna with the sleeping Christ Child, Joseph and John the Baptist. Based on John’s gesture, the work is also known as the Madonna del Silenzio (The Madonna of Silence). The work probably belongs to a group of works that Michelangelo made for his friend Vittoria Colonna, the widow of the Marquis of Pescara. Their strong bond was severed by Vittoria’s untimely death in 1547 that greatly affected Michelangelo, further intensifying his religious zeal.
date:
measurements: height 400 mm
width 269 mm
in collections:
material: paper
technique: engraving
inscription:
inventory number: R 152548
gallery collection: Collection of Prints and Drawings