The Madonna of the Pavilion

This splendid tondo by Sandro Botticelli, made with the tip of the brush with the precision of a miniaturist, portrays an apparently conventional religious theme (the Virgin and Child), but it is actually laden with symbolism. The splendid “pavilion” or tent, is one of the most important Biblical symbols in both the Old Testament (the “tent of meeting” as the place of the presence of God) and in the New Testament (in the Gospel of John, to summarise the mystery of the incarnation, we read that “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”, in which the original literally means “dwelt as in a tent”). The two angels who open the “tent” thus reveal the mystery of the incarnation: the Son of God, who has become a child, born of the Virgin Mother. In a very lively scene, another angel leads the young Jesus towards his mother who, in a gesture that is fairly common in mediaeval Marian imagery, presses her breast, from which a stream of milk pours forth, as though wishing to represent the altruistic love of maternity. Resting on a cushion above the Child and the Virgin’s right hand there is an open book: the Bible, the Word of God as written on pages, which is present in the living person of Jesus, the Word that has become flesh and that dwells in a “tent” among men. It should be noted that the opening of the pavilion reveals a very gentle landscape in the background, beyond the parapet: this is the mystery of the Creation, which should be seen in relation to the mystery of the Redemption, which in turn finds its fulfilment in the birth of the Son of God. Lastly, a vase of lilies is set in the foreground: while some have interpreted this as an allusion to Florence, of which the lily is an emblem, the religious significance of this flower should also be remembered, for it is a symbol of innocence, chastity and purity of heart.