Commissioned in 1617 by the Ratta family for the church of San Giovanni in Monte, Bologna, this painting was likely completed by 1621, even though payments continued until 1625. The composition is notably complex and, although appreciated at the time, sparked controversy for its intricate symbolism.
The work centers on the crown of roses given by the Virgin to Saint Dominic, alluding to the practice of praying the Rosary—widely promoted from the 16th century onward as a response to Protestant heresy. The fifteen meditative “mysteries” of the Rosary—joyful, sorrowful, and glorious—are not represented as separate scenes, as was customary, but fused into a unified composition rich in symbolic elements. Below, a suffering and diverse humanity looks to the Rosary and the intercession of the Virgin and Saint Dominic for salvation.
During the Napoleonic era (1796), the altarpiece was taken to Paris, but it was returned to Bologna in 1815, thanks in part to the intervention of Antonio Canova. It is now preserved at the Pinacoteca Nazionale.
