Workshop of Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael

Acquired in Paris by the grandfather of the present owner circa 1900;
Thence by descent. 

The catalogue illustration is too red in tone. The support consists of three large upright pine(?)panels held by two horizontal battens on the reverse. The bottom left hand corner has a small diagonal break and there is a vertical 15 cm old split running up from the bottom edge in the centre panel. The painting is now dirty and its varnish layer discoloured. The paint surface is in reasonably good condition overall, with no major damages. The surface has had a history of instability and flaking in the past, for some areas, such as the background and left side of the panel remain uneven in raking light and much restoration is in evidence here, notably to the background, the drapes and beard of Saint Joseph and the face and drapes of the young Baptist. The right side of the panel is much better preserved, with only minor local scattered retouchings except around the head of the Madonna where a few larger losses are in evidence. The background here has been washed over. The erstoration has discoloured in some areas and is visible to the naked eye. Offered in a plain gilt wood frame, numerous chips and small losses.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The composition repeats, with some differences such as the omission of the rose, Raphael's Madonna della Rosa in the Prado, Madrid. That painting, which is considered by modern scholars to have been executed in part by the artist's workshop, is recorded at the Escorial as early as 1657 by a certain Padre de los Santos.¹  There is a further copy in the Prado, much inferior to the present work, which Manuela Mena Marqués attributes to Gabriel de Cárdenas Maldonado (active in Spain at the end of the 16th century). 

1. See Bonaventura Bassegoda in J.Brown and J.Elliot, The Sale of the Century: Artistic Relations between Spain and Great Britain 1604-1655, Madrid 2002, pp. 134ff.