Incredible, early copy of Italian Renaissance artist Raphael's 1515-1516 masterpiece, the Madonna of the Chair or "Madonna della Seggiola / Sedia". The original is housed at the Pitti Palace in Florence, Italy as part of the Palazzo Pitti Collection owned by the Medici family shortly after Raphael's death in 1520. It was originally located in the Uffizi but was transfered to the Pitti in the first decade of the 16th century. According to Raffaele Monti, in his 1966 Grosset Art Library publication, RAPHAEL, the original Madonna of the Chair was commandeered by the French in 1799 and restored in 1815. Most scholars date the original to around 1515-1516, soon after the Madonna of the Fish. Part of the structure of the work can be found, with variations, in the Madonna of Tent, which was probably painted immediately before this work. The Madonna of the Chair is one of the most revered paintings of the Madonnas done by Raphael; it has been admired by many artists over the years and has been copied many times. This copy is an exquisite oil painted on what appears to be burlap, with a gilded wood frame, clearly done by a skilled artist. A notation on the reverse indicates this piece dates to 1732. Substituting jute burlap for canvas is commonly attributed to post-impressionist painter, Paul Gauguin, who shared a house with Van Gogh in Arles, but the medium was used as far back as the 17th Century, even by Masters such as Rembrandt, whose 1632 work The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp is painted on canvas and housed in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, the Netherlands. The frame measures 34" squared, with a circular viewing area, like the original, that measures 28" diameter. The actual artwork has been restretched and is on a 30" square canvas (approx) that is braced inside the outer, decorative gold frame. The painting is in incredible condition for its age, with still vibrant colors. There is one small (approx 1-1.5") tear - please examine the photos carefully. From the Hyatt Estate. Italy