This artwork was one of Cardinal Federico’s favourites, and he wanted it to be shown very prominently in the Ambrosiana collection. In his treatise Musaeum published in 1625, a fundamental document for the history of the original collection, Borromeo himself stated that the model for this panel was the cartoon by Leonardo, now in the National Gallery in London, from which Luini possibly made a partial tracing. To the composition made by the Tuscan genius, Luini added the figure of Saint Joseph to the left of the Virgin.
The reading room will be closed for the summer break from July 25, to August 31, 2022 included. It will reopen on September 1st, Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 16.50
Rooms 2 and 3, the exhibition is the first of a series dedicated to showing us what is not normally exhibited, for a wider enhancement of the Institution's assets.
From July 1: Monday to Sunday 10.00-18.00, Closed on Wednesday
