It is not clear that Ruskin has any specific painting by Raphael in mind here as evidence for his comment. He was familiar with engravings of the Madonna di St. Sisto of Raphael. In a letter of 1845 ( Shapiro, Ruskin in Italy: Letters to his parents 1845, p. 101) he mentions the Madonna del Cardellino in the Uffizi as being better than the Virgin with Child and St. John in the Louvre. In another letter of 1845 in Shapiro, Ruskin in Italy: Letters to his parents 1845, p. 105, he refers to 'the Raffaelles in the Pitti palace', presumably the Madonna del Baldacchino, the Madonna della Seggiola, and the Madonna dell'Impannata.
Raffaello Santi 1483-1520
Madonna of the Goldfinch c.1506
Oil on panel, 107x77cm
Provenance: Painted for the marriage of Lorenzo Nasi, a Florentine nobleman; ruin of the Nasi family, 1547; Uffizi's inventory, 1704
Further Comments: It is not clear which 'Madonna' by Raphael that Ruskin refers to, but 'Madonna of the Goldfinch' was mentioned in a letter to his father in 1845. Equally the Madonna di San Sisto and the Madonnas in the Pitti Palace, Florence may be the works referred to
Collection: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
For a reproduction of this artistic work, please consult: Buck, S., Hohenstatt, P., Raphael, (Könemann, 1998), p.30 or alternatively www.abcgallery.com/R/raphael/raphael22.html