Virgin with Child (Virgen con Niño)

Preparatory painting for the dome of the Santa María del Pópolo Chapel at Cesena Cathedral (Italy). The composition has two levels, with the virgin and child in the center enthroned on a cloudscape. The holy apostles sit on banks of cloud, with a perfect balance on each side. Particularly interesting are the ascensional power on display, the architecture of the clouds, the transparency and depth of the sky, and the rhythm of the lines. Guiaquinto uses a palette of blue and pink pastels, with the reds of the saints' robes standing out.