Artist: Rafael Santi
Canvas, oil.
Size: 265 × 196 cm
Description of the picture " Sistine Madonna» Rafael Santi
Artist: Rafael Santi
Title of the painting: “Sistine Madonna”
The painting was painted: 1513-1514.
Canvas, oil.
Size: 265 × 196 cm
Rafael Santi is one of the few artists who was happy, had many orders, fame and honor at a young age. His father supported him in everything and even gave him painting lessons, and Raphael listened to all the subtleties of art. The young artist spent some time in Florence, where he perfected his talent. Using the examples of the great Da Vinci, he learned to depict movement, and in the works of Michelangelo he looked for plastic calm. In addition, he loved to paint Madonnas - about 15 images of saints are known, painted by Santi.
The most famous of them, the Sistine Madonna, according to various assumptions, was painted from 1512 to 1513, and since the mid-18th century the painting has been in Dresden.
The painting, huge in size, was innovative in art High Renaissance, since the material for it was not wood, but canvas. There are many rumors and speculations associated with this Raphael Madonna. They begin with the fact that Pope Julius II ordered this canvas for his tomb, and Sixtus was painted from it, and the niece of the head posed for the image of St. Barbara catholic church. People who have read the Da Vinci Code to death prove that the acorns that decorate Sixtus’ chasuble directly hint at Pope Julius (della Rovere is the surname of a clergyman and means “oak”).
Another legend about the “Sistine Madonna” tells that the patrons of the church in Piacenza, where the painting was originally located, were Saints Sixtus and Barbara. When the canvas ended up in Dresden, a pilgrimage of Russian painters began, who “promoted” the painting among the domestic secular society. The reviews of Karamzin, Zhukovsky, Belinsky, Repin, Dostoevsky, Fet and Pushkin alone are enough to consider this Madonna (and quite rightly) a masterpiece of Raphael’s work.
Why is this picture so popular and so mysterious? The canvas presents the Madonna with a child in her arms, at whose feet Pope Sixtus and the martyr Barbara bowed, looking at the ascension of God. The composition of the picture is thought out very carefully - the curtain, together with all the figures, forms a triangle. The image of Madonna is emphatically simple, and the cherubs, who are thinking about their own things, only make you touch. Such compositional technique is called an altarpiece, and Raphael used it for a reason. The painting was previously in the church, so a view of it opened immediately when a person entered the temple.
Not a single Renaissance painter used in his works psychological techniques, in such quantities as Rafael Santi did. His Madonna has spiritual contact with the viewer - it’s as if she looks into your soul and allows you to look into hers. The woman's eyebrows are slightly raised and her eyes are wide open - she gives the impression of a person who has learned all the truths of the world. Madonna knows in advance the fate of her son, a rosy-cheeked baby who looks at the world from his mother’s arms with seriousness and perspicacity, not like a child. The main difference between the “Sistine Madonna” and the rest of Raphael’s creations is that it is endowed with emotional experiences.
All movements and gestures on this canvas are multi-valued. Madonna simultaneously moves forward, and at the same time you think that she is standing still, and her floating figure seems not disembodied, but quite real and alive. The Christ Child is both a gift to people and an impulse maternal instinct– this can be judged by the movement of her hands.
The picture amazes with its verified, linear and spatial volume. He gives it such greatness that some consider this work art as an icon, all of whose figures are balanced. If you look closely at Sixtus, you will see that he is heavier than Barbara and is lower. But the curtain above the martyr’s head is more massive - this is how Raphael achieves balance.
Art critics say that Raphael's Madonna has no holiness. Her head is not framed by a halo, her clothes are simple, her feet are bare, and the baby is positioned in her arms the way village women hold him. The holiness of this Madonna is completely different - the barefoot woman is greeted like a queen: the powerful head of the Catholic Church has turned from a wrinkled old man next to her, and the plump cherubs have turned into ordinary children. Saint Barbara, dressed in luxurious clothes, looks like ordinary girl. The clouds also emphasize the woman’s holiness as she floats on them.
This action is only part of the movement that fills the entire painting by Raphael. The canvas is illuminated by a glow that pours from somewhere inside, and the light is in different corners. Dark background clouds creates the feeling of a thunderstorm.
The color scheme of the painting harmoniously interweaves various shades. The green curtain and green cape of Barbara, the gold-embroidered clothes of the Pope, the blue and red outfit of the Madonna and the pastel shades of the bodies against the backdrop of dirty gray clouds create a premonition of something monumental.
Many researchers, like those who have at least once seen the Sistine Madonna, are beginning to worry about the question of who Santi wrote it from. There are several versions about the prototype of Raphael's saint. Some researchers believe that the artist loved her unrequitedly. Another hypothesis is more interesting, and tells about the passion of the 17-year-old baker's daughter Margarita Luti, who could not resist the interesting, rich and famous man. Moreover, there were also selfish motives in the fact that she gave herself to the master - for the night's pleasures with the artist, the girl received an expensive necklace.
Whether this is true or not, we will never know. Only one thing is known: every man tends to look for an angel in a woman, and if it weren’t for Margarita, there would be no “Sistine Madonna.” History knows many examples of femme fatales being the muses of artists, and seductresses becoming models for geniuses. The sculpture of the Venus de Milo was created from the hetaera Phryne, and Gioconda was DaVinci’s mistress. What can we say about artists if the futurist Mayakovsky was satisfied with the “triple alliance” with the Brik family?
We have no right to judge geniuses, because God did not give most people even a small fraction of their talent. We can only enjoy works of art that are surrounded by many legends.
It is known about this painting that it definitely belongs to the brush of the great Raphael. And besides, he wrote it alone, without assistants. It was commissioned for the Church of St. Sixtus. And naturally, the picture reflects biblical story- the appearance of Christ to the people. The dimensions of the painting are impressive. Three by two meters is approximately the size of the floor in a large room in an ordinary apartment.
The plot of the picture is simple. In the center of the picture is a woman holding a child in her arms. This child is Jesus Christ. A woman steps barefoot on white swirling clouds. To her right is a crouching girl. And on the left is a bearded old man in robes. He points right hand to the right side. At the bottom of the picture are two little angels. That's all characters.
The woman is holding the child in a strange way. She doesn’t hold her close to herself, as all mothers do, but with her back to herself. She is ready to give up her child. The adults in the picture are dressed, and the children are naked. Why doesn't she cover the child? After all, he's probably cold.
The child is not an infant, he is about a year old. And he probably knows how to walk. Look how plump he is, which means he’s healthy and has a good appetite. But still, why without clothes? The child presses his head against his mother's cheek.
Nobody smiles, everyone is in a state of deep thought. Apparently, there is nothing to be happy about and everyone understands this. Even little angels have their faces propped up with their hands and are thinking about something.
The woman is the Holy Virgin Mary, the boy is Jesus Christ. There is no floor, no walls, no ceiling in the painting. It's like she's hanging in the air. Madonna seems to be coming to people. Only the dark green curtains “hint” that everything will soon end and they will be closed. And behind them something will be hidden from human eyes.
Maria is dressed in a beautiful red and blue long dress, her head is covered with a long mustard-colored shawl. On the left, Saint Barbara, seated with her head uncovered, is dressed in bright clothes. Long skirt it's also dark - of blue color. She pressed her hands to her chest, her eyes downcast. She doesn't want to look Maria in the eye. As a woman, she understands and sympathizes with her. Her image expresses humility and reverence.
On the other side of Mary, Saint Sixtus fell to his knees. His face is turned to Mary, his hand shows the direction where she needs to go. And the little children with wings put their little hands as if on the edge, I don’t understand why. Since there is a curtain, it means that this is the edge of the stage. Both angels have their eyes turned upward. I wonder what they saw there?
It feels like all the characters know and understand everything. But there is no other choice. This picture could only have been painted by that man, and it is clear that this is a man who has never been separated from his child.
Description of the painting by Raphael Sistine Madonna
500 years have passed since the great Italian painter Raphael Santi created his best work, “The Sistine Madonna,” and there is probably not a person on earth who is not familiar with this painting. Painted for the monastery of St. Sixtus, it is currently kept in the Dresden Gallery.
From a canvas of quite impressive size, the Mother of God with the Child in her arms looks at the viewer with hope, sadness and anxiety. She is wearing simple clothes, and with her bare feet she easily walks on the clouds. The young Mother of God carries her son to people, trustingly hoping that the world will be kind to him and will not harm him. But at the same time, the Virgin Mary is full of humility and understanding that she must fulfill the will of the one she holds in her arms.
The artist draws the Baby Savior as a large and strong child. His look is not childishly serious. Unlike his mother, he knows exactly about his great destiny: to fulfill the will of God the Father and become a saving sacrifice for humanity.
The kneeling Pope Sixtus IV reverently looks at the Mother of God and Christ. His image is placed on the left side of the picture. On the right, at the feet of the Mother of God, the artist placed Saint Barbara. Her gaze is turned down to the Earth, to where Christ awaits the crucifixion. The clothes of these saints are incomparably richer and brighter than the simple red and blue robes of the Virgin Mary. But this simplicity does not deceive the viewer. He sees the Queen descending from heaven, giving her child in the name of saving people on Earth.
Behind the back of the Virgin Mary, the artist painted the barely noticeable faces of angels, which at first glance seem like light clouds. Some art historians claim that these are the souls of unborn people. Below are two little angels, very reminiscent of ordinary street urchins. One of them even lost his wing somewhere. But they, too, captivated by the importance and solemnity of the moment, carefully and thoughtfully watch the ongoing miracle of God’s descent to Earth.
Raphael repeatedly depicted the Virgin Mary in his paintings. It was not the “Sistine Madonna” that became such an alloy of beautiful composition, harmony, and meaning that has delighted and fascinated the viewer for five centuries.
Several interesting essays
- Essay on the painting Rest after the battle by Neprinceva, 8th grade
The canvas “Rest after the battle” was based on the poem “Vasily Terkin”. Actually, after the artist read this poem, he came to the conclusion that he would paint a wonderful canvas on a military theme.
Anna Nikolaevna is one of minor characters works, sister main character novel by Vera Nikolaevna Sheina.
The Sistine Madonna is the most famous of Raphael Santi's paintings, which has no creative analogues. About the history of the creation of the “Sistine Madonna”, the first mentions of the “Sistine Madonna”, about the original name of the masterpiece artistic classics read our article.
"This the whole world, the magnificent, colorful world of art. This picture alone would be more than enough to make the author’s name, if he had not created anything else, immortal.”
Goethe on the Sistine Madonna
Raphael's highest creative rise lasted until the mid-1510s, and during this period the creation of the Sistine Madonna, the most famous of the artist's paintings, occurred.
"Sistine Madonna", Raphael Santi
At one time, this painting was considered the most famous in the world, not only because of its beauty, but also because the Polish-Saxon king Frederick AugustusIIIThe Saxon bought it in 1574 from the Church of St. Sixtus in Piacenza for a lot of money. From the name of the church, the painting received its new, now known to everyone, name - “Sistine Madonna”, and initially it was called “Madonna and Child, with St. Sixtus and St. Barbara”. Relics associated with these saints were kept in the Church of St. Sixtus. Relics are extremely important to the church because they produce the desired effect. Papa JuliusII, while still a cardinal, he collected donations for the construction of a chapel in the church for the relics of St. Sixtus and St. Barbara.
Church of St. Sixtus, Piacenza
There is no documentary evidence of the creation of the “Sistine Madonna” and why it ended up in the monastery of St. Sixtus in Piacenza. The painting was first mentioned in Vasari’s “Lives of the Most Famous Painters, Sculptors and Architects” only in 1550. According to Vasari: “He (Raphael) made for the black monks (monastery) St. Sixtus a board (image) of the main altar with the appearance of the Mother of God to St. Sixtus and St. Barbara; a unique and original creation.” Vasari's statement that the altar image was executed on a board indicates that he himself did not see the Sistine Madonna, because the picture was painted on canvas. Vasari's mistake has a simple explanation: at the beginningXVIcenturies, altar images were usually executed on boards. The huge Sistine Madonna (256x196 cm) is painted on canvas. It is quite possible that the choice of material depended on the large dimensions of the painting. But this can also be interpreted as a hint that the painting was intended as an element of a banner.
The banner is a religious banner in the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches. It is a cloth on a shaft with the image of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary or saints. Church banners were intended for religious processions.
The dating of the creation of the painting is extended in time - from 1512 to 1519, and is still controversial. Most researchers consider the most likely date of its execution to be 1512 - 1514.
All Italian culture originates from monasteries. A monastery is a religious community of monks or nuns that has a single charter and a single complex of liturgical, residential and economic buildings. The birthplace of monasticism is Egypt, famous for its desert fathersIV- Vcenturies. The Monk Pachomius the Great founded the first communal monastery and wrote the first monastic charter in 318. Monasteries were not only about religion, they were centers of knowledge since the Dark Middle Ages. Each monastery had a library and a place where scriptorium books were copied, and their Team work launched a chain of events favorable for the development of culture. Some monasteries, such as the first Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino (founded in 529), were true medieval centers of learning. The monks engaged in research in various fields of philosophy, medicine and music. The first schools were opened at monasteries. Novices of monasteries often became popes: Pope Leo X, the patron of Raphael, was a novice of the monastery of Monte Cassino, 100 km from Rome. Monasteries provided shelter frail old people and the sick and were a place where one could hide from the worldly environment, from the chaos and violence reigning in the world. Under the influence of Savonarolla's teachings, Leonardo da Vinci in 1491 went to a Dominican monastery near Pisa for some time. Adherents of the ideas of the “demagogue on religious grounds” Savonarola were the elder brother Michelangelo, who became a monk in Viterbo, and the artist della Porta, who after taking monastic orders received the name Fra Bartolomeo.
The Monastery of St. Sixtus, one of the most ancient monasteries, was founded by Queen Engilberga in 874. And like any monastery, it lived autonomously, strictly guarding its secrets. We must not forget that these were difficult times: Italy lived in a state of incessant wars that destroyed people and the very spirit of civilization. The terrible reality of these wars was not just catastrophic, sometimes simply irreparable losses: during Napoleon’s Italian campaign, the archives of the monastery of St. Sixtus burned down. Unfortunately, no preparatory drawings or sketches of the Sistine Madonna. And since there is no source of historical information, the name of the customer beautiful picture still not known.
The German researcher M. Putcher and his followers are convinced that Raphael painted the “Sistine Madonna” for the Church of St. Sixtus, and in this church the painting remained until it was taken to Dresden. According to his version, Pope Julius donated the “Sistine Madonna” to the Church of St. Sixtus in gratitude for the contribution that Piacenza made (the monks of the monastery actively campaigned for annexation to Rome) during the war with France. At firstXVIcentury, the northern lands of Italy became the subject and place of conflict between the selfish interests of Rome and France. The papal troops coped so well with the bloody task of conquering the northern regions that the northern Italian cities, one after another, went over to the side of the Roman pontiff. On June 24, 1512, Piacenza also voluntarily joined Rome, entering the state of the pope and receiving the status of the Papal States.
YuliyaII, whose political ambitions went hand in hand with religious zeal, had a special relationship with Piacenza. This small town 60 km from Milan reminded Pope Julius of his relationship with Pope SixtusIV, his uncle. In addition, in the city there was the Cathedral of St. Sixtus, the patron saint of the della Rovere family, to which Pope Julius belonged. While staying in Piacenza in June 1500, while still a cardinal, Pope JuliusIIgranted the monks of the monastery absolution for the charitable work of building a church. The Church of St. Sixtus, heavily damaged during the war and restored by the famous architect Alessio Tramallo in 1499-1511, was reopened after reconstruction with a new altar image - Raphael's masterpiece "Sistine Madonna".
Interior of the Church of St. Sixtus
When someone talks about Raphael's Madonna, the imagination immediately draws a gentle, spiritual image that seems to glow from within. For all my life Rafael Santi painted several dozen paintings with images of the Virgin Mary. And they are all diverse and good in their own way. This review presents 5 famous “Madonnas” by the great Renaissance painter.
Madonna Conestabile
“Madonna Conestabile” is one of Raphael’s early paintings, created by him at the age of 20. It was written in Perugia before moving to Florence. On young artist The technique of execution of such masters as Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo Buonarroti has not yet had an influence, so the conveyed image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms is still too simple.
“Madonna Conestabile” is the only painting by Raphael that is stored in Russia, in the Hermitage. In 1870, Emperor Alexander II purchased it as a gift for his wife Maria Feodorovna. The painting was in the Italian city of Perugia in the possession of Count Conestabile della Staffa (hence the name of the canvas). He really needed money and, despite reproaches from the public for depriving them of a national treasure, he sold the Conestabile Madonna for 100 thousand rubles.
Raphael’s painting could well have left Russia during the period of the active sale of the Hermitage heritage by the Bolsheviks, but for some reason no one bought the tiny canvas measuring 17.5x18 cm, and it remained on display in the museum.
Madonna Granduca
When Raphael arrived in Florence in 1504, he became acquainted with the works of Leonardo da Vinci and mastered the sfumato technique (a smooth transition from light to shadow), which he used Great master. It was then that the “Madonna Granduca” appeared.
Looking at the canvas, it seems that it literally glows. The Madonna's eyes are downcast, signifying humility. Her clothes are made in traditional colors. Red signifies the sacrificial blood of Christ, and the blue cloak represents the purity of the Queen of Heaven.
It is curious that the original background of the painting was a landscape and a window with a balustrade, but now the Madonna is depicted against a black background. Until recently, it was believed that Raphael himself decided to paint over the landscape, but recent research has shown that the black paint was applied no earlier than a hundred years after the painting.
Madonna Alba
Raphael painted Madonna Alba while in Rome in 1511. He was invited there by Pope Julius II to paint the halls of the Vatican. At the same time, Michelangelo worked there on the famous Sistine Chapel.
Raphael was lucky enough to see the master's frescoes. Influenced by the works of Michelangelo, the artist painted the Madonna of Alba. In comparison with earlier paintings, here Madonna is no longer fragile and humble, but a completely self-confident woman, depicted in a relaxed pose.
Until 1931, the Alba Madonna was in the Hermitage collection, until it was sold by the Bolsheviks to an American tycoon.
Madonna in a chair
"Madonna in a Chair" is different from previous works Raphael. In this picture, the Virgin Mary is more “earthly”. If all the previous images were born in the artist’s head, then for this Madonna a real girl posed for him. The robe of the Virgin Mary is also unusual. The traditional red dress and blue cloak were replaced by the clothes of a simple city woman.
Sistine Madonna
The Sistine Madonna is considered the pinnacle visual arts Renaissance. She differs from other “Madonnas” by Raphael not only in composition, but also in her pose and gaze. If the previous paintings were painted on wood, then this one is done on canvas.
"Sistine Madonna" for a long time hung in one of the churches of the Italian city of Piancenza until it was redeemed by Augustus III, Elector of Saxony. There is a legend that he ordered his throne to be moved so that the picture could be better seen.
Today the painting is in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden. Of course, Raphael's skill is undeniable, but even in the Sistine Madonna
Description of Raphael's painting “Sistine Madonna”
One of the greats creative people Italy has Rafael Santi.
He is also a talented painter, graphic artist, and architect.
His works decorate many churches.
The artist's favorite muse has always been Madonna.
He dedicated many paintings to her, like in the beginning creative path, and in adulthood.
One of the most perfect paintings belonging to this cycle is the painting “Sistine Madonna”.
It was ordered by the monks for the Church of St. Sixtus.
This canvas is an altar image, which reveals to a person’s gaze a parted curtain and a walking figure of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms.
This baby is Jesus Christ.
He trustingly clung to her, and she held him in a caring, maternal way, tenderly and reverently.
She walks on a white, soft and even, it seems, warm cloud.
Her feet are bare.
The body is covered by a beautiful, satin, red dress, covered with blue fabric.
There is a light shawl on the head.
The baby is completely naked.
By left side From the Madonna, Saint Barbara sits with her head and gaze lowered.
Her whole appearance shows submission, faith and reverence.
WITH right side we see Sixtus II falling to his knees.
He appeals to Mary to protect all who worship and pray to her.
And behind the Virgo, barely noticeable in gray color and the light that comes from the Madonna, the faces of many angels.
Two more angels, reminiscent of cupids, are shown in the very foreground of the picture.
Their movements and gestures are still completely childish and naive.
This gives the canvas warmth, care and humanity.
