Tondo Doni by Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni

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In contrast, Stefaniak (2008) describes his colour being ‘based on Ghirlandesque precedent,’ so that the painting was assertive and intense. She further describes his intention in explaining that ‘no shading brings (the vivid colours) together; no attention is paid to the scenery, to the details of plants and flowers: all the interest is concentrated on the human figure,’ (Stefaniak, 2008). Even the halos are eliminated so that all of the viewers focus in drawn to the twisted, sculpted bodies.

Michelangelo expresses his passion for translating his sculptural sensibilities into painting. ‘The family group advances toward the viewer with such three-dimensional force that it seems to defy the very flatness of the painted surface,’ (Ruehring, 2017). ‘He joins these parts into a connected sequence as if they were interdependent pieces of a mass of stone’ (Freedberg, 1993).

The triangular composition employed is extremely powerful. A massive central Madonna is contorting her body into a position that highlights Michelangelo’s dynamic employment of anatomical forms. All the attention is drawn to her presence, further encouraging the viewer to follow her gaze upwards towards the Christ child, before moving on to the rest of the piece. The way Michelangelo divided the composition into three distinguished spatial planes is also extremely effective, and is definitely a primary design element due to the three dimensionality and iconographic relevance it conveys. Thus, hierarchy is reinforced by portraying the importance of figures in relation to their size. In addition, it is worth noting that the density and ‘telescoped space’ (Franklin, 2002) of the composition also resemble Ghirlandaio’s painting style.

Intent and Interpretation

The symbolism of the picture has been widely debated. What is clear is that the painting was meant to praise the virtues of a Christian marriage by focusing on the holy family. It has also been observed that the Madonna and Joseph seem to be presenting the child as a ‘gift’ to the world in a way that may be related to the patron's name (‘Doni’ in Italian means ‘gifts’). David Franklin (2002) highlights that the Madonna does not exert much effort to carry the Christ child over her shoulder, instead she seems to be lifting the weight of a stone. ‘It is appropriate that Christ is twisted into a pose recalling an architectural keystone.’ This grand moment is held, with the Madonna symbolically elevating Jesus. This feature cannot be stressed enough, for this movement held in space is the key element of the entire piece.

Specifically, the inclusion of the nude figures has also been interpreted in a variety of ways. To many, the Nudes represent humanity at a time of paganism before Divine Law was established (ante legem), the Madonna and Saint Joseph symbolise humanity during a time of Judaism, and the baby Jesus represents humanity that is protected by Divine Grace (Franceschini, 2011). John the Baptist represents a time of transition and union of the three periods. The iconography of these three spatial planes and what their respective figures represent is supported by the busts on the surrounding frame. The carved cornice ‘includes the sculptured heads of Christ, two Prophets, and two Sibyls,’ (Hibbard, 1998), which also refer to the the ages of mankind and the fulfilment of prophecy.

Art Historical Style

This piece would be categorised as High Renaissance Christian art. During the Renaissance, tondos typically showed christian scenes and would be placed in domestic settings. A tondo this relates to is Luca Signorelli’s ‘Virgin and Child,’ which was a tondo that was in Lorenzo de’ Medici’s palace at the when Michelangelo lived there. ‘In the Doni Madonna there new clear echoes of Signorelli, especially in the background full of nude youths.’ Signorelli also included the head of John the Baptist between two figures of prophets. The similarity between iconography could also conclude that the Tondo Doni should be ‘read as an icon of Christian salvation.’ (Hibbard, 1993).

Additionally, the composition is probably influenced by the ‘Virgin and Child with St. Anne’ by Leonardo Di Vinci. Like the earlier cartoon, Michelangelo’s figures seem to be compacted into very little viewable space and a triangular composition is employed. According to Freedberg (1993), ‘The attention that Michelangelo directed to Leonardo’s style was to the core in it of formal structure. Probably as soon as he had seen Leonardo’s St Anne cartoon of 1501, Michelangelo paraphrased it… in a drawing.’

The piece is unique in the inclusion of certain elements like shrubs and landscape, which the artist does not usually entertain. Examples of how this painting strays from traditional representations of the Madonna and child include how Mary looks muscular, is depicted without a veil, and is not show cradling baby Christ. His evolution of this classical style highlights dynamism and body contortions. Although, it remains very classical if we remember that this was made in the same year that Leonardo Da Vinci was painting the Mona Lisa.

Personal Assessment

The Tondo Doni was a favourite at first glance due to the intricacy of the clothes folds and shadows, as well as the busy composition and bright colours. Researching this work has made me realise how much intention is represented in the iconography and certain design elements of this piece. It also made me understand how unique Michelangelo’s ‘maniera’ (style) is. Michelangelo truly demonstrates his capabilities as a painter in this moving finished piece.

List of Illustration Sources (not shown in this version)

1. Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel ceiling. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City. 1512. Retrieved from: https://cdn.unifiedcommerce.com/content/product/large/16065_a1.jpg

2. Signorelli, Virgin and Child. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. 1490. Retrieved from: https://uploads8.wikiart.org/images/luca-signorelli/madonna-and-child-with-prophets.jpg

3. Da Vinci, Virgin and Child with St. Anne. The Louvre, Paris. 1503. Retrieved from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Leonardo_da_Vinci_-_Virgin_and_Child_with_St_Anne_C2RMF_retouched.jpg/1200px-Leonardo_da_Vinci_-_Virgin_and_Child_with_St_Anne_C2RMF_retouched.jpg

References

Franceschini, C. (2011). The Nudes in Limbo. London: Warburg Institute, University of London.

Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/41418716