“And a sword will pierce your own soul too, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”
— Gospel of Luke 2:35

Title: La Madonna del Dito
Technique: Hand pushed relief
Material: Brass
Dimensions: 150 × 180 mm

A hand-pushed relief of the Madonna of the Thumb, recreated in 0.1 mm brass. The delicate sheet is shaped directly with a chisel, allowing the image to emerge from the metal through subtle variations in relief.

Historical Context

The Madonna of the Thumb, attributed to the Florentine painter Carlo Dolci (1616–1686), depicts the Virgin Mary in deep sorrow, her blue veil drawn closely around her face, with only her thumb visible beneath the drapery. The image is believed to have been brought to Japan in 1708 by the Sicilian missionary Giovanni Battista Sidoti.

The painting associated with Sidoti is now preserved at the Tokyo National Museum as an Important Cultural Property. An Italian oil painting on copper dating from the late seventeenth century, it was formerly held by the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office. During Sidoti’s interrogation, Arai Hakuseki examined the Madonna he had brought with him and recorded its appearance.