Madonna and Child between Saint Rosa (?) and Saint Catherine of Alexandria – Kunsthistorisches Museum – Vienna
Dating back to about 1493/1495, the work depicts in the foreground the Virgin, sitting on a barely visible low parapet; she looks towards the viewer, and her simple and austere appearance recalls the features of Chiara Fancelli, Perugino’s wife and model, while holding the Child blessing in her arms.
Behind the Virgin, on the left, a figure probably identifiable with Santa Rosa, is lowering her face to the ground while joining hands to the chest as a sign of prayer; on the other side Saint Catherine of Alexandria looks directly at the viewer and holds the palm of martyrdom in her right hand.
The construction of the painting recalls the coeval Madonna and Child between Saint John the Baptist and Saint Catherine of Alexandria (now at the Musée du Louvre in Paris), but it differs from it because of the light colors of the garments and especially in the bright setting: the group is in fact placed presumably outdoors, as the background allows a glimpse of the sky.
The work was already inventoried in 1612 among the imperial assets in Vienna, and since 1780 it has been located at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The work is preserved at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
