01 Work, RELIGIOUS ART - Interpretation of the bible, il Perugino's Madonna and Child with two cherubs, With Footnotes - #174

Pietro Vannucci, known as il Perugino

Madonna and Child with two cherubs, c. 15th century

Tempera on panel

Palazzo Baldeschi Museum

This painting illustrates the painter's masterful drawing technique and his unique ability, anticipating Raphael, to execute holy iconography even in a small format painting. 

The cherub's heads, which had been obscured by dark paint, came back to light after a restoration carried out in 1927. Following a sale later that same year, the painting entered Robiolio di Biella's collection where it remained until 1987 when it was purchased by the Savings Bank of Perugia. As a work from Perugino's mature years which is stylistically comparable to his Pala dei Decemviri (Decemviri altarpiece), this painting can be dated to the last decade of the 15th Century. More on this painting

Giovanni Santi described the young Perugino as the artistic equal of Leonardo: 'Two young ones, equal in their gifts and ages, Leonardo da Vinci and Perugino, Piero from Pieve, divine painter.' By the end of his life, however, his sweet light manner, unchanging from the 1490s, had been surpassed by his most important associate, Raphael, and by Leonardo himself.

Pietro Vanucci was born in Città della Pieve and was called Perugino after the town of Perugia, where he worked. As a professional painter and the overseer of two or more workshops consecutively, Perugino had great and international success. Raphael worked with him in Perugia in about 1500. The Gallery's fragments 'The Virgin and Child and Saints Michael and Raphael' were part of an altarpiece for the Charterhouse of Pavia. In 1480-2 he was in charge of the wall decoration of the Sistine Chapel, Rome.

His early formation is not recorded. He is thought to have been a pupil of Piero della Francesca. From about 1470 he worked in Florence in the circle of Verrocchio and was also influenced by Botticelli. More on Pietro Vanucci

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