Raffaello Sanzio Madonna Della Seggiola Appraisal

After Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio), Madonna della Seggiola

This is an antique oil on canvas painting depicting a copy of Raphael's famous 'Madonna della Seggiola' (Madonna of the Chair), likely dating from the 19th century. The composition is set within a circular tondo format, as is traditional for this specific subject, though it is currently housed in a square, gilded wooden frame with olive-drab spandrels. The scene depicts the Virgin Mary seated in a decorative chair, embracing the Christ Child, while a young John the Baptist gazes on from the right, holding his characteristic cross. The color palette includes the classic red of Mary’s sleeve, green of her shawl, and gold tones in the stripes of her headdress. Physical condition reveals significant age-related wear. There is prominent surface crazing and fine cracking (craquelure) throughout the paint layer, particularly visible in the flesh tones and the Child's garments. Some minor paint losses and scuffing are evident near the bottom edges of the tondo. The canvas appears to have darkened over time due to a degraded varnish layer, which has obscured some of the finer details and softened the tonal contrasts. The frame features an ornate Repeating foliage or leaf pattern with a gold-leaf finish that shows some typical rubbing and minor chipping at the corners. There are no visible signatures or maker's marks on the front surface, which is common for such high-quality devotional copies produced for the Grand Tour market.