Religious themes are quite popular among Raphael's contemporaries. However, the main difference between this picture and similar ones is its fullness of lively emotions combined with a rather simple plot.
Composition
In the spotlight - female figure Madonna holding her little son in her arms. The girl’s face is full of a certain sadness, as if she knows in advance what awaits her son in the future, but the baby, on the contrary, shows bright, positive emotions.
The Virgin with the newborn Savior in her arms walks not on the floor, but on the clouds, which symbolizes her ascension. After all, it was she who brought Blessing to the land of sinners! The face of a mother with a child in her arms is bright and thought out to the smallest detail, and if you look closely at the baby’s face, you will notice an adult expression, despite his very young age.
By depicting the Divine child and his mother as human and simple as possible, but at the same time walking on clouds, the author emphasized the fact that regardless of whether it is a divine son or a human one, we are all born the same way. Thus, the artist conveyed the idea that only with righteous thoughts and goals is it possible to find a suitable place for oneself in Heaven.
Technique, execution, techniques
A world-class masterpiece, this painting contains completely incompatible things, like the human mortal body and the sacredness of the spirit. The contrast is complemented bright colors and clear lines of details. There are no unnecessary elements, the background is pale and contains images of other light spirits or singing angels behind the Madonna.
Next to the woman and baby are saints who bow before the Savior and his mother - the high priest and Saint Barbara. But they seem to emphasize the equality of all the characters in the picture, despite the kneeling pose.
Below are two funny angels, which have become a real symbol not only of this picture, but of the author’s entire work. They are small, and with thoughtful faces from the very bottom of the picture they observe what is happening in the life of the Madonna, her extraordinary son and people.
The picture still causes a lot of controversy among experts. For example, the fact that there is no consensus on how many fingers are on the pontiff’s hand is considered very interesting. Some people see not five, but six fingers in the picture. It is also interesting that, according to legend, the artist drew Madonna from his mistress Margherita Luti. But it is unknown who the baby was based on, but there is a possibility that the author based the child’s face on an adult.
“I remember a wonderful moment:
1:569You appeared before me,
1:615Like a fleeting vision
1:662Like a genius of pure beauty..."
1:726 1:736We are all with school years remember these lines. At school we were told that Pushkin dedicated this poem to Anna Kern. But that's not true. According to Pushkin scholars, Anna Petrovna Kern was not a “genius of pure beauty,” but was known as a woman of very “free” behavior. She stole a famous poem from Pushkin, literally snatching it from his hands. Who did Pushkin write about then, whom did he call “the genius of pure beauty”?
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It is now known that the words “genius of pure beauty” belong to the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky , who in 1821 admired Raphael Santi’s painting “The Sistine Madonna” in the Dresden Gallery.
1:394 1:404Here is how Zhukovsky conveyed his impressions: “The hour that I spent in front of this Madonna belongs to happy hour life... Everything was quiet around me; first, with some effort, he entered into himself; then he clearly began to feel that the soul was spreading; some touching feeling of greatness came into her; the indescribable was depicted for her, and she was there, where only in best moments life maybe. The genius of pure beauty was with her.”
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The painting “The Sistine Madonna” was painted by Raphael in 1512-1513, commissioned by Pope Julius II for the altar of the church of the monastery of Saint Sixtus in Piacenza, where the relics of Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara were kept.
2:391 2:401The painting shows Pope Sixtus II, who was martyred in 258 AD. and canonized, asks Mary for intercession for all who pray to her before the altar. The pose of Saint Barbara, her face and downcast gaze express humility and reverence.
2:856 2:866As ancient legends tell, Pope Julius II had a vision of the Mother of God and Child. Through the efforts of Raphael, it turned into the appearance of the Virgin Mary to people. The main question: Is this work a painting? or is it an icon? Raphael sought to transform the human into the divine, and the earthly into the eternal.
2:1417 2:1427Raphael wrote The Sistine Madonna at a time when he himself was experiencing severe grief. And therefore he put all his sadness into the divine face of his Madonna. He created the most beautiful image Mother of God, combining in him the traits of humanity with the highest religious ideality. The image of a woman with a baby captured by Raphael has forever gone down in the history of painting as something tender, virgin and pure.
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However, in real life the woman depicted as the Madonna was far from an angel. Moreover, she was considered one of the most depraved women of his era. If the priests had known that Raphael painted the Madonna from his mistress, it is unlikely that she would have been able to stand behind the altar image in the monastery of St. Sixtus, for whom this work was commissioned from the artist.
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This picture is not just a figment of the artist’s imagination or invention. Every detail has special meaning and a story that was only recently discovered. Not long ago, scientists took a closer look and saw that Raphael, in the main characters of the painting, the Madonna with Little Jesus, encoded the first letter of his name.
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Many masters did this both during the time of the painter and after him. But in addition, hidden in the details interesting stories. According to researchers famous painting, the main symbols, of which there are 9, form a hexagon and these details are worthy of special attention.
4:1004 4:1014The painter was a Gnostic - a follower of the late antique religious movement, based on Old Testament, Eastern mythology and a number of early Christian teachings.
4:1323 4:1333Gnostics of all magic numbers they especially honored the six (it was on the sixth day, according to their teaching, that God created Jesus), and Sixtus is precisely translated as “sixth.” Raphael decided to play on this coincidence. Therefore, compositionally, the painting, according to Italian art critic Matteo Fizzi, encodes a six: it is made up of six figures, which together form a hexagon.
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1. MADONNA
Some researchers believe that the image Holy Virgin Raphael wrote from his mistress Margherita Luti. It’s difficult to say whether this is actually true now, but many artists depict the faces of their women on their canvases. They were a kind of models who were always at hand and, moreover, inspired the master. According to the Russian art historian Sergei Stam, “in the eyes of the Sistine Madonna, immediate openness and trust, ardent love and tenderness, and at the same time wariness and anxiety, indignation and horror at human sins froze; indecision and at the same time readiness to accomplish a feat (to give up his son to death).
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2. THE CHILD CHRIST
It is difficult to say whether the prototype of the son of God was a real child, but if you look closely, you will see that his look is quite mature, and in addition, in the eyes of a baby, Raphael depicted the child’s understanding, even at that age, of his fate and its role for all humanity . According to Stam, “his forehead is not childishly high, and his eyes are not at all childishly serious. However, in their gaze we see neither edification, nor forgiveness, nor reconciling consolation... His eyes look at the world that has opened before them intently, intensely, with bewilderment and fear.” And at the same time, in the gaze of Christ one can read the determination to follow the will of God the Father, the determination to sacrifice himself for the salvation of humanity.
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3. SYKST II
Very little is known about the Roman pontiff. He did not remain on the holy throne for long - from 257 to 258 - and was executed under Emperor Valerian by beheading. Saint Sixtus was the patron saint of the Italian papal family of Rovere (Italian: "oak"). Therefore, acorns and oak leaves are embroidered on his golden robe.
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4. HANDS OF SYSTUS
Raphael wrote the holy pope pointing right hand on the altar crucifix (remember that “ Sistine Madonna" hung behind the altar and, accordingly, behind the altar cross). It is curious that the artist depicted six fingers on the pontiff’s hand—another six encrypted in the painting.
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Although other researchers refute this theory: what many take for the sixth finger, in their opinion, is the inner part of the palm. When you look at a low-resolution reproduction, you may get this impression. The high priest's left hand is pressed to his chest as a sign of devotion to the Virgin Mary.
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5. POPAL TIARA
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The tiara is taken from the head of the pontiff as a sign of respect for the Madonna. The tiara consists of three crowns, symbolizing the kingdom of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is crowned with an acorn - the heraldic symbol of the Rovere family.
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6. SAINT BARBARA
Saint Barbara was the patroness of Piacenza. This 3rd century saint turned to faith in Jesus in secret from her pagan father. The father tortured and beheaded his renegade daughter.
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7. CLOUDS
Some believe that Raphael depicted the clouds as singing angels. In fact, according to the teachings of the Gnostics, these are not angels, but not yet born souls who reside in heaven and glorify the Almighty.
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8. ANGELS
The two angels at the bottom of the picture look dispassionately into the distance. Their apparent indifference is a symbol of acceptance of the inevitability of divine providence: Christ is destined for the cross, and he cannot change his fate.
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9. OPEN CURTAIN
The curtain symbolizes the open heavens. His green indicates the mercy of God the Father, who sent his son to death to save people.
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Work on the Madonna was completed in 1513, and until 1754 the painting was in the monastery of St. Sixtus, until it was bought by the Saxon Elector August III for 20,000 sequins (almost 70 kilograms of gold).
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Before the outbreak of World War II, the Sistine Madonna was in the Dresden gallery.
8:169 8:179But in 1943, the Nazis hid the painting in an adit, where, after a long search, she was discovered by Soviet soldiers . This is how Raphael’s creation came to the USSR.
8:445 8:455In 1955, the Sistine Madonna, along with many other paintings exported from Germany, was returned to the GDR authorities and is now in the Dresden Gallery.
8:774ARTIST Rafael Santi 8:838
1483 - Born in Urbino into the family of an artist.
1500 - Began training in the art workshop of Pietro Perugino. Signed the first contract - for the creation of the altar image “Coronation of St. Nikola from Tolentino."
1504-1508 - Lived in Florence, where he met Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He created the first Madonnas - “Madonna of Granduca” and “Madonna of the Goldfinch”.
1508-1514 - Worked on the paintings of the papal palace (frescoes “The School of Athens”, “The Deliverance of the Apostle Peter from Prison”, etc.), painted a portrait of Pope Julius II. Received the position of scribe of papal decrees.
1512-1514 - Painted The Sistine Madonna and Madonna di Foligno.
1515 - Was appointed chief custodian of antiquities of the Vatican. Wrote "Madonna in an Armchair".
1520 - Died in Rome.
Raphael
Sistine Madonna. 1513–1514
Oil on canvas. 265 × 196 cm
Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden. Wikimedia Commons
Clickable - 3028px × 4151px
“The hour that I spent in front of this Madonna belongs to the happy hours of my life: everything around me was quiet; first, with some effort, he entered into himself; then he clearly began to feel that the soul was spreading; some touching feeling of greatness came into her; the indescribable was depicted for her, and she was where only life can be in the best moments. The genius of pure beauty was with her.” This is how Vasily Zhukovsky described his impressions of meeting Raphael’s masterpiece. What is the secret of the “Sistine Madonna”?
Plot
This is a monumental work. Almost two by two meters. Just think what impression this picture made on people XVI century. It seemed as if Madonna was descending from heaven. Her eyes are not half-closed or looking away or at the baby. She looks at us. Now try to imagine what it looked like in a church setting. People just entered the temple and immediately met their gaze with the Mother of God - her image was visible in the distant future, long before the person approached the altar.
The Madonna is watched by Pope Sixtus II and Saint Barbara. They were real historical characters, whom the church canonized for their torment.
Martyrdom of Saint Sixtus II, XIV century
Pope Sixtus II did not remain on the throne for long - from 257 to 258. His head was cut off under Emperor Valerian. Saint Sixtus was the patron saint of the Italian papal family of Rovere, whose name translates as “oak”, so acorns and leaves of this tree are embroidered on the golden mantle. The same symbol is also present on the papal tiara, the three crowns of which symbolize the kingdom of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Raphael was the first to paint Madonna, who looks into the viewer's eyes
Saint Barbara was not chosen by chance for this painting. She was the patroness of Piacenza - it was in this city that Raphael painted his Madonna for the church. This woman's story is extremely tragic. She lived in the 3rd century, her father was a pagan, and the girl converted to Christianity. Naturally, the priest was against it - he tortured his daughter for a long time, and then completely beheaded her.
The figures form a triangle. This emphasizes the open curtain. It also makes the viewer a participant in the action, and also symbolizes the open heavens.
The background is not clouds at all, as it might seem, but the heads of babies. These are unborn souls who are still in heaven and glorifying God. The angels below with their dispassionate appearance speak of the inevitability of divine providence. This is a symbol of acceptance.
Context
Raphael received the order to paint the canvas from Pope Julius II. Thus, the pontiff wanted to celebrate the inclusion of Piacenza (a town 60 km southeast of Milan) into the Papal States. The territory was recaptured from the French during the struggle for northern Italian lands. In Piacenza there was the monastery of Saint Sixtus, the patron saint of the Rovere family, to which the pontiff belonged. The monks actively campaigned for annexation to Rome, for which Julius II decided to thank them and ordered an altar image from Raphael in which the Mother of God appears to Saint Sixtus.
The Sistine Madonna was commissioned by Pope Julius II
We do not know who exactly posed for Raphael for Madonna. According to one version, it was Fornarina - not only the model, but also the artist’s lover. History has not even preserved her real name, not to mention the details of her life. Fornarina (literally - baker) is a nickname that she owed to her father's profession as a baker.
"Raphael and Fornarina", Jean Ingres, 1813
Legend has it that Fornarina and Raphael met by chance in Rome. The painter was struck by the beauty of the girl, paid her father 3,000 gold pieces and took her to his place. For the next 12 years - until the artist's death - Fornarina was his muse and model. What happened to the woman after Raphael’s death is unknown. According to one version, she became a courtesan in Rome, according to another, she became a nun and soon died.
But let's return to the Sistine Madonna. It must be said that fame came to her much later after it was written. For two centuries it gathered dust in Piacenza, until in the middle of the 18th century it was bought by Augustus III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, and took it to Dresden. Despite the fact that at that time the painting was not considered Raphael’s masterpiece, the monks bargained for two years and raised the price. For August it was not important whether to buy this painting or another, the main thing was to buy Raphael’s brushes. It was his paintings that were missing from the Elector’s collection.
Portrait of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Augustus III (1696-1763)
1733. Wikimedia Commons
When the Sistine Madonna was brought to Dresden, Augustus III allegedly personally pushed back his throne with the words: “Make way for the great Raphael!” when the bearers hesitated, carrying the masterpiece through the halls of his palace.
Raphael's mistress may have posed for the Sistine Madonna
Another half century passed, and the Sistine Madonna became a hit. Its copies appeared first in palaces, then in bourgeois mansions, and then in the form of prints and in the homes of ordinary people.
The canvas miraculously survived the Second World War. Dresden itself was destroyed to the ground. But the Sistine Madonna, like other paintings in the Dresden Gallery, was hidden in a freight car standing on the rails in an abandoned quarry 30 km south of the city. In May 1945, Soviet troops found the paintings and brought them to the USSR. Raphael's masterpiece was kept in the storerooms of the Pushkin Museum for 10 years, until it was returned along with the entire Dresden collection to the authorities of the GDR in 1955.
The fate of the artist
Raphael worked at a time when the Renaissance reached its culmination of development. He was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Raphael carefully studied their technique; it was the right instrument for the execution of artistic designs.
During his life, Raphael created several dozen Madonnas. Not only because they were often ordered. The theme of love and self-denial was close to the artist; it was one of the most important in his work.
Rafael Santi. Self-portrait
1506, oil on wood, 45 × 33 cm. Wikimedia Commons
Raphael began his career in Florence. In the second half of 1508, he moved to Rome, which at that time became the center of the arts. And this was greatly facilitated by Julius II, who ascended the papal throne. He was an extremely ambitious and enterprising man. He attracted to his court best artists Italy. Including Raphael, who, with the assistance of the architect Bramante, became the official artist of the papal court.
He was commissioned to fresco the Stanza della Segnatura. Among them was the famous “School of Athens” - a multi-figure (about 50 characters) composition depicting ancient philosophers. In some faces one can discern the features of Raphael's contemporaries: Plato is painted in the image of da Vinci, Heraclitus is painted in the image of Michelangelo, Ptolemy is very similar to the author of the fresco.
Raphael's most famous student became famous for his pornographic drawings
And now a minute for the “few people know” section. Raphael was also an architect. After Bramante's death, he completed the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. In addition, he built a church, a chapel, and several palazzos in Rome.
Rafael Santi. Athens School. 1511
Scuola di Atene
Milling cutter, 500 × 770 cm
Apostolic Palace, Vatican. Wikimedia Commons
Raphael had many students, however, the most famous of them gained fame thanks to his pornographic drawings. Raphael could not tell his secrets to anyone. Later his paintings inspired Rubens, Rembrandt, Manet, Modigliani.
Raphael lived to be 37 years old. It is impossible to say exactly the cause of death. Under one version, due to fever. According to another, because of intemperance, which has become a way of life. On his tomb in the Pantheon there is an epitaph: “Here lies great Raphael, during whose life nature was afraid of being defeated, and after his death she was afraid to die.”
Sistine Madonna - Raphael Santi. Oil on canvas. 256x196
For several centuries now, this particular work of the great Renaissance master has been accepted as the model and pinnacle of the old European school of painting. The impeccability and depth of the work have been recognized by critics, and no attempts to doubt the perfection of this painting have yet been crowned with success, causing a storm of protests and rejection of any critical analysis.
Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and many artists spoke about the phenomenon of “public admiration,” which prevents us from perceiving this work individually and objectively, back in the 19th century. Moreover, everyone unanimously agreed that this was an undoubted masterpiece.
The unusualness of this work by the master, for whom the Mother of God with a baby in her arms is a favorite subject, is that it was painted on canvas. At that time, the vast majority of works of this kind were written on boards. Some researchers believe that the artist chose the canvas because he could not find a board of the appropriate size.
The painting was commissioned by Cardinal de Rovere, the future Pope Julius II. The work was intended for the altar of one of the provincial cathedrals, in which the relics of St. Sixtus and St. Barbara were kept. Both individuals are represented in the painting next to the Virgin and Child.
All the characters in the picture had prototypes in life. It is known that the artist painted Pope Sixtus from the cardinal who ordered it. One of the legends of the picture claims that the pope is depicted with six fingers. The inconsistency of this statement is obvious if you look at the pope's hand more closely.
The composition of the painting becomes clearer if you know that a crucifix should have been placed in front of the work. Then the pope’s gesture becomes clear, pointing to the Great Sacrifice of the Son of the Mother of God in the future, as well as the mournful submission of Saint Barbara.
A pair of angels at the very bottom of the composition gives the picture an unusually lyrical sound. This cute couple deprives the picture of all pathos, highlighting the main and simple meaning of the plot - the mother’s anxiety about the fate of her son.
A strong impression is made by the childish face of the savior and his obvious resemblance to the Mother.
The viewer is confused by the deliberately “earthly” curtain strung on a primitive cornice. The care with which this obscure detail is written confuses the audience, forcing it to think about the meaning of this detail, its purpose.
The clouds in the background of the work, representing numerous angelic faces, emphasize the solemnity and significance of what is happening, bringing into the work that sacred pomp that is an indispensable component of all altar paintings of the Renaissance.
// Description of Raphael’s painting “Sistine Madonna”
Raphael Santi (26.03.1483 - 6.04.1520) - great Italian artist Renaissance. During his short life - thirty-seven years - Raphael painted paintings on biblical subjects, on themes of classical mythology, worked on frescoes and portraits.
His most famous paintings are “The Wedding of the Virgin Mary”, “Saint George and the Dragon”, “Dispute”, “Transfiguration”, “Portrait of Castiglione”, “ Beautiful gardener", "The Triumph of Galatea", "The Sistine Madonna", "The School of Athens".
The Sistine Madonna (1512-1513) was commissioned by Pope Julius II for the church located in the monastery of St. Sixtus in the city of Piacenza. Raphael completed the order on canvas, although for that time the usual material in such cases was board. Perhaps the order was intended for a banner, but perhaps the canvas was chosen due to the size of the painting. The church in Piacenza was considered to be under the patronage of Saints Sixtus and Barbara, which is why their images are depicted in the painting.
In the center of the picture in full height depicts a full-length figure of the Madonna and Child. On both sides of it there are two kneeling figures, on the left is Saint Sixtus, on the right is Saint Barbara. At the very bottom, in the foreground, there are two angels looking up. Compositionally, the figures are placed in a triangle. The parted curtain enhances the geometric design of the composition. Framed by green curtains, the Madonna is in simple clothes, but surrounded by a radiance, as if descending from heaven, her bare feet lightly touch the cloud, and it seems that she and the viewer meet their gazes.
The artist managed to convey meekness, humility, love and sorrow in Mary’s facial expression. The Baby has a childish look, Mary holds him as her jewel, the knowledge of the upcoming trials is hidden in her eyes. Raphael reflected a lot of humanity in them.
The painting was intended to take place in front of the crucifixion, so the faces and position of the figures should be subordinated to the feeling caused by the suffering and death of the Savior. We see Sixtus's pointing finger and Barbara's bowed head.
The picture was painted with great skill, in the traditions of the Renaissance, but it is precisely from this revival of paganism that the Christian content suffers. The picture does not make the impression that Orthodox icons do. The baby is depicted naked and plump, which is not allowed in Orthodoxy. Maria here rather resembles a single mother, sad because of her vulnerability in the face of a cruel world. The plump naked angels look like pagan cupids, and nothing resembling spirituality is noticeable in their plump faces. For some reason, Saint Barbara’s gaze is directed at these little cupids with wings, and there is a smile of tenderness on her face.
There is a lot of physicality in the picture and not much of the spiritual. This is characteristic of many paintings of religious content during the Renaissance. The Catholic Church accepted this semi-secular painting into its fold. Unfortunately.
