Madonna and Child with Sts Severino and Dominic

This small painting, also referred to as “Madonna delle rose” once belonged to the church of S. Domenico in Sanseverino. It was originally a wooden panel, with this scene exhibited on one side and a depiction of the Resurrection, with Christ surrounded by angels, on the other and the open tomb underneath (now in Museo della Ca’d’Oro, Venice). In the 19th century the panel was separated in two parts.

In the painting, the patron saint of the town of Sanseverino is kneeling on the left, dressed in his episcopal clothing. Saint Dominic, to whom the church is dedicated, kneels on the right, dressed in the habit of his order. The saints are depicted not only in the act of venerating the Madonna and the child, but they also take an active part in supporting with their hands a rose-decorated plate on which the Madonna is seated. Four angels hold a baldachin above the head of the Madonna. The tall angels are dressed in elaborate clothes and are shown in various poses, similar to contemporary examples by Pietro Perugino, Luca Signorelli, or Filippino Lippi.