Madonna of the Rose Garden — History & Facts
Painted in tempera on panel around 1420–1435, this work attributed to Stefano da Verona shows the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child seated in a stylized rose garden. The composition is characterized by its gold ground, intricate floral patterns and the presence of angels and the crowned Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The figures are rendered with delicate, linear contours and subtle modeling, typical of early 15th-century Italian painting. The Madonna, dressed in a deep blue mantle lined with gold, sits with the Christ Child on her lap, both adorned with radiant haloes.
Surrounding them are angels in vibrant robes of blue, pink, and gold, some playing musical instruments, while birds perch among the roses and trellises. In the lower part of the painting Saint Catherine, crowned and dressed in red and gold, holds a wreath beside the wheel of her martyrdom, amid a dense carpet of flowers. The overall palette is dominated by gold, red, blue, and green, with fine detailing in the foliage and textiles. This work belongs to the tradition of Marian imagery popular in northern Italy during the early Renaissance, where the rose garden symbolized purity and paradise.
The painting is attributed to Stefano da Verona, an artist active in the Veneto and Lombardy regions, known for his refined International Gothic style. The panel is attributed either to Stefano da Verona or to Michelino da Besozzo and is now in the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona.






