Circle of Grace

In Sandro Botticelli’s Tondo Raczynski (c. 1477), the Virgin Mary nurses the Christ Child, encircled by eight singing angels. This intimate, circular composition known as a tondo invites viewers into a serene, sacred space. Mary’s gentle melancholy hints at her foreknowledge of Jesus’s fate, while the infant’s gaze meets ours with innocent curiosity. The angels’ harmonious presence enhances the contemplative mood, drawing us into a timeless moment of maternal tenderness and divine love. Rendered in tempera on poplar, the painting’s soft lines and luminous colors exemplify Botticelli’s mastery. Now housed in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie, this work continues to inspire reflection and reverence.