Michelangelo carved this “tondo” (rounded) image of Our Lady in marble. Its circular shape indicates the entire world, nothing outside except God. The circle, perfect figure, implies that the plans of God are good, not misshaped, fruit of his fatherly concern for all.
Her Son is the continuity of God’s plans, the accomplishment, not the rupture of them. She holds the Child tightly, her hand embracing Jesus. The plans of God go through Jesus our Redeemer, and nothing outside Him.
Jesus’ head rests upon a Book, the Scriptures, and his little arm establishes a connection between the Scriptures and his mind, God’s Wisdom. Mary holds the Book, the fulfillment of God’s plans; moreover, the Book is open, Jesus opened it and showed the totality of Revelation. Now anyone can read it. There is a perfect agreement between the Scriptures and the salvation worked by Jesus.
The Child is naked, just himself, perfect God and perfect man. He does not need weapons, human strategy, impressive garments, or devices; just He. And we find Him in the Word and the sacraments.
The countenance of Our Lady follows the perfect classical canons, implying her perfections and virtues with which God adorned her. She is crowned by angels’ figures in her forehead, she is the Queen of the Angels.
Our Mother is seated on a perfect shaped and polished stone cube, especially solid, it is the Church. She is an important part of the mystical Body Christ, she is the Mother of God. She is not outside the Church, but in the Church, as Mother of the Church.
Behind her, the Old Testament, appears roughly finished, it was there to prepare its own completion in Jesus. The figure of John de Baptist appears, almost in shadows, preparing the arrival of the King.