Madonna del Garofano Italian Tapestry

Madonna del Garofano Italian Tapestry

Madonna del Garofano, also known as The Madonna of the Pinks is an Italian jacquard woven wall tapestry. The artwork is a rendering of an early devotional painting attributed to Italian Renaissance master Raphael. The painting depicts a youthful Virgin Mary playing with the Christ child and handing him carnations. These flowers, whose botanical name is dianthus (Greek for ‘flower of God’), are a premonition of Christ's Passion – according to Christian legend, the flower first appeared when the Virgin wept at the Crucifixion.