 |
| Madonna of Mercy by Domenico Ghirlandaio |
In 1472 Domenico Ghirlandaio painted a fresco for the
convent and church dedicated in honor of All the Saints in Ognissanti, Florence. In this image the Madonna of Mercy is shown protecting
local dignitaries and members of the Umiliati, a lay congregation for men and
women devoted to Evangelical perfection, poverty, and physical labor. The painting was commissioned by the family
of Amerigo Vespucci, the Florentine explorer after whom America was named. He appears under the Madonna's right arm.
