Virgin and Child

The Virgin is depicted as sitting, dressed in red and blue, with a green cloak and a thin halo above her head. On her lap is the Child Jesus, whom she is holding with her right hand. The background consists of blue drapery on the left, and a landscape of buildings in the far distance on the right. The frame is the original one. Jonathan Brown and Vítor Serrão both consider the painter of this work to have probably been Cesare da Sesto, one of the most important disciples of Leonardo da Vinci and known to have painted other Madonnas. He was born in Lombardy, and worked in Rome, Naples, Messina and Milan, where he later died. This painting was recently incorporated into the Palace’s collection, forming part of the group of 27 pieces that constituted the donation made of the Luís Bramão collection (2010) – furniture, painting, sculpture and ceramics – dating from the 15th to the 18th century. The painting was bought by the donator in Rome, in 1962, although nothing is known about its origin.