Don’t overlook the importance of a circular painting, or tondo in Italian, as it meant a lot to both the artists and the beholders especially in the 15th century Renaissance period. Seize your final chance to visit the Botticelli exhibition at the HKMOA!

Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) has painted numerous tondi (plural form of tondo) with Mary and Jesus Christ sometimes together with John the Baptist as the motif. An example is Adoration of the Child and Angels (1500), now showing at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. In addition to the theme of divine maternity as shown in most of his tondi, this work also shows the divine royalty of Jesus as mother Mary putting her palms together showing a sign of worshipping towards him. At the same time, an intimacy is seen as the baby’s gesture shows his longing for a hug from his mother. They are surrounded by four angels. In the background are roses, which symbolize Mary in Christianity.

People in the Renaissance period like to decorate their rooms with tondo, derived from the Italian word rotondo (round) as the circular form symbolizes perfection and continuity. Tondi also served commemorative purposes as they were given as gifts to celebrate childbirth and marriage.

To the artists, it was challenging for them to work on a circular surface as they needed to consider the perspective and proportion to depict the figures in a realistic manner. However, they could also emphasize the protagonist or subject matter by placing them at the center without too much consideration on the background. Some of the famous examples include Michelangelo’s (1475-1564) Doni Tondo (1507), which depicts the holy family. It is the only surviving finished panel painting by the master and is part of the Uffizi’s collection. This can be compared with the Taddei Tondo (1504-5) or The Virgin and Child with the Infant St John, which is a marble relief sculpture. Collected by Royal Academy, it is Michelangelo’s only tondo in the United Kingdom.

When: Till Mar 10

Where: Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi, Special Gallery, 2/F, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Adoration of the Child and Angels (1500) by Botticelli

Love of Circular Paintings