Date
1515-1520
Object Type
Painting
Subject
Virgin and Child
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. On long-term loan to the Circolo Ufficiali, Milan, since 1955
About The Work
The painting has been documented in the Brera Academy's collections since 1943, as recorded in the Chronological Register of the Entry of Artistic, Archaeological and Pictorial Materials held in the Historical Archive.
The Virgin is depicted with the Child, who is playing with a spindle in the distinctive shape of a cross. This is clearly an allusion to Christ's sacrificial destiny. This spontaneous gesture of the infant assumes a premonitory significance: the everyday object is transformed into a symbol of the Passion, connecting the ordinary with the sacred.
The composition closely follows, with only a few variations, the Madonna of the Yarn Winder, one of Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated works. The painting was executed in Florence in 1501, commissioned by Florimond Robertet, the esteemed Secretary of State to Louis XII of France. The original is now considered to be lost; however, it is known through approximately thirty copies and derivations. The exemplars in the Lansdowne and Buccleuch collections are notable for their quality and are generally attributed to Leonardo's workshop.
The painting in the Accademia di Brera [Brera Academy] had long been considered an anonymous copy. However, its author was finally identified in 2022-2023 when the painting was examined as part of a research and conservation programme involving various specialists. Following a comprehensive review of the diagnostic campaign and the evidence revealed during the restoration work, Cristina Quattrini proposed attributing the Virgin and Child to Girolamo Figino. This hypothesis was subsequently endorsed by Francesco Frangi and Mauro Pavesi. Due to this exact interpretation, this painting has been placed within its correct cultural context: as a student of Francesco Melzi, Leonardo's final apprentice and successor, Figino was one of the most prominent practitioners of the Leonardesque tradition in Milan. From the 1530s onwards, he developed a visual language characterised by compositional balance, subtle modulation of light and careful observation of natural detail. In his later phase, he incorporated influences from Raphael’s models.
The Virgin is depicted with the Child, who is playing with a spindle in the distinctive shape of a cross. This is clearly an allusion to Christ's sacrificial destiny. This spontaneous gesture of the infant assumes a premonitory significance: the everyday object is transformed into a symbol of the Passion, connecting the ordinary with the sacred.
The composition closely follows, with only a few variations, the Madonna of the Yarn Winder, one of Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated works. The painting was executed in Florence in 1501, commissioned by Florimond Robertet, the esteemed Secretary of State to Louis XII of France. The original is now considered to be lost; however, it is known through approximately thirty copies and derivations. The exemplars in the Lansdowne and Buccleuch collections are notable for their quality and are generally attributed to Leonardo's workshop.
The painting in the Accademia di Brera [Brera Academy] had long been considered an anonymous copy. However, its author was finally identified in 2022-2023 when the painting was examined as part of a research and conservation programme involving various specialists. Following a comprehensive review of the diagnostic campaign and the evidence revealed during the restoration work, Cristina Quattrini proposed attributing the Virgin and Child to Girolamo Figino. This hypothesis was subsequently endorsed by Francesco Frangi and Mauro Pavesi. Due to this exact interpretation, this painting has been placed within its correct cultural context: as a student of Francesco Melzi, Leonardo's final apprentice and successor, Figino was one of the most prominent practitioners of the Leonardesque tradition in Milan. From the 1530s onwards, he developed a visual language characterised by compositional balance, subtle modulation of light and careful observation of natural detail. In his later phase, he incorporated influences from Raphael’s models.
Title
Madonna dell'Aspo
Creator
Girolamo Figino after Leonardo da Vinci
Subject
Virgin and Child
Object Type
Painting
Original Function
Collection
Date
1515-1520
Inscriptions
Inscribed in pencil on the reverse of the panel: "235"
Crest
On the reverse, coat of arms, The work bears the royal coat of arms of the Regno Lombardo-Veneto.
A sealing wax stamp depicting a double-headed eagle with outspread wings, surmounted by a crown and decorated with swags. The eagle holds a sceptre and sword in its left talon and an orb in its right; on its chest, an oval shield bears the initials "F.I.". This mark served as an export seal, displaying the insignia of the Regno Lombardo-Veneto (Rusconi E. M., Master's Degree Thesis in Restoration PFP2, a.y. 2022-2023).
A sealing wax stamp depicting a double-headed eagle with outspread wings, surmounted by a crown and decorated with swags. The eagle holds a sceptre and sword in its left talon and an orb in its right; on its chest, an oval shield bears the initials "F.I.". This mark served as an export seal, displaying the insignia of the Regno Lombardo-Veneto (Rusconi E. M., Master's Degree Thesis in Restoration PFP2, a.y. 2022-2023).
Technique / Support
Oil on panel
Visual analysis of the technique
The pictorial surface presents a differentiated application, with alternating compact backgrounds and areas treated with overlapping glazes. The modelling of the volumes is achieved through soft and gradual tonal transitions, with attention to the rendering of light. The colour scheme is balanced, with a predominance of medium and dark tones in the background, which serve to enhance the subject. The surface appears to be protected by a final layer of varnish, which was visually altered and yellowed prior to the intervention, affecting the correct chromatic reading of the work.
Dimensions
cm 89 x 65.5
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. On long-term loan to the Circolo Ufficiali, Milan, since 1955
Inventory number
Inv. 1980, 293
Bibliography
Righi, Nadia. Entry no. 245. In Pinacoteca di Brera. Addenda e apparati generali, Musei e Gallerie di Milano, edited by Fernando Mazzocca. Milano: Mondadori Electa, 1996. 288–289, ill. (after Leonardo da Vinci).
"La Madonna dell'aspo di Girolamo Figino in mostra", exhibition (Seregno (MB), Palazzo Landriani Caponaghi, 14th December 2024 – 23rd February 2025), catalogue not published
Quattrini, Cristina. "Una Madonna dell'aspo di Girolamo Figino", In Nuovi Studi. XXX, 2025, 29. Forthcoming.
"La Madonna dell'aspo di Girolamo Figino in mostra", exhibition (Seregno (MB), Palazzo Landriani Caponaghi, 14th December 2024 – 23rd February 2025), catalogue not published
Quattrini, Cristina. "Una Madonna dell'aspo di Girolamo Figino", In Nuovi Studi. XXX, 2025, 29. Forthcoming.
Conservation status
Good
Restoration history
Conservation work carried out as part of Eleonora Maria Rusconi's Master's Degree Thesis in Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.
Type of intervention:
preliminary documentation; surface cleaning; consolidation of the paint film; removal of altered varnishes; work on the support; filling of losses; retouching; final varnishing;
Supervisory Authority: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la Città Metropolitana di Milano
Internal scientific supervisor: Accademia di Brera [Brera Academy of Fine Arts], Chiara Nenci
Technical director/qualified restorer: Anna Lucchini
Operator: Eleonora Maria Rusconi
Funding entity: Accademia di Brera [Brera Academy of Fine Arts]
Type of intervention:
preliminary documentation; surface cleaning; consolidation of the paint film; removal of altered varnishes; work on the support; filling of losses; retouching; final varnishing;
Supervisory Authority: Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la Città Metropolitana di Milano
Internal scientific supervisor: Accademia di Brera [Brera Academy of Fine Arts], Chiara Nenci
Technical director/qualified restorer: Anna Lucchini
Operator: Eleonora Maria Rusconi
Funding entity: Accademia di Brera [Brera Academy of Fine Arts]
Diagnostic analysis
2022, photographic documentation in visible light
2022, photography in grazing light
2022, photography in UV fluorescence Analyses conducted in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Fiisica "Pontremoli" dell'Università degli Studi di Milano (Prof. Marco Gargano)
2022, photography in grazing light
2022, photography in UV fluorescence Analyses conducted in collaboration with the Dipartimento di Fiisica "Pontremoli" dell'Università degli Studi di Milano (Prof. Marco Gargano)
Restoration bibliography
Academic Master Degree Thesis in Conservation of Cultural Heritage by Eleonora Maria Rusconi
Advisor: Anna Lucchini
Co-Advisors: Salvatore Meccio, Nadia Guerini
Thesis Title: Il restauro del dipinto a olio su tavola "Madonna con Bambino" di Girolamo Figino, Academic Year 2022/2023
Advisor: Anna Lucchini
Co-Advisors: Salvatore Meccio, Nadia Guerini
Thesis Title: Il restauro del dipinto a olio su tavola "Madonna con Bambino" di Girolamo Figino, Academic Year 2022/2023
Frame, base, secondary support
Historical frame. Empire style wooden frame with half-round or shell moulding (early 19th century), moulded, carved and painted to imitate gold leaf. The conservation treatment of the frame comprised consolidation of lifting paint layers, selective dry and solvent cleaning, and the removal of non-original varnishes, bronzing, and overpaint to reveal the original gilding and finishes. Structural stabilization, insertion of wooden dowels, filling of losses, differentiated retouching, and the application of intermediate and final protective varnishes completed the conservation and reassembly of the frame.
Unique identifier
0300663483