Sassoferrato Madonna and Child with Cherub Angels Holiday Postcard

Sassoferrato Madonna and Child with Cherub Angels Holiday Postcard ... Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (August 25, 1609 - August 8 1685), known by art historians simply as Sassoferrato, was an Italian Baroque painter who was deeply influenced by Raphael. Sassoferrato is best known for his many Madonna and Child paintings. This one usually is named Madonna (or The Virgin Mary) and Sleeping Christ Child with Cherub Angels. Like Leonardo da Vinci, Sassoferrato used expensive fine and rare imported Lapis Lazuli to make his natural Ultramarine Blue for Mary's blue robe. In this time Lapis Lazuli was more expensive than pure gold ... such that only the wealthiest art patrons could afford it. Lapis Lazuli was imported from Afghanistan just as it had been for thousands of years (Tutankhamun's pure gold burial mask face had Lapis Lazuli for eye liner and brows).