Справа стоит Николай Чудотворец, он читает книгу, которую держит двумя руками; в правой руке у него жезл.
This altarpiece shows the Virgin on a high throne, with St John the Baptist on the left, and St Nicholas of Bari to the right.
The internal architecture is not in fact entirely logical. The throne has no arms, and the steps are too steep to be practicable. They do, however, beautifully reflect the arches above, and give the sense of a humble approach to the throne.
The Perugian patron probably wanted something in the tradition of the city's famous artist Perugino. On employing Raphael, influenced by Perugino, he got this and more.
'The Ansidei Madonna' developed beyond earlier, Peruginesque compositions, such as 'The Mond Crucifixion', as a result of Raphael's exposure to Florentine art.
Raphael visited Florence in 1504. The influence of Donatello's sculpture is visible in the figure of St Nicholas. He would also have studied the sculptural approach of painters like Masaccio.
Inscribed on the frieze: •SALVE•MATER•CHRISTI• (Hail Mother of Christ) and dated on the hem of the Virgin's mantle: MDV (1505).
