Sistine Madonna Raphael conquered the whole world. The talent of the best painter of the era High Renaissance Rafael Santi allowed him to create a picture that attracts, evokes a range of feelings and amazes with its liveliness. The canvas is more than five hundred years old, but the technique of execution is so high that it is perceived as a 3D image. And, when you stand in front of the painting, it seems that Madonna is about to step towards you.
The picture arouses genuine interest. Since the “Sistine Madonna” entered the collection of the Saxon electors in 1754 and was placed in, the painting has been seen by millions of people.
Description of the painting and the magic of perception
The canvas, not very large in size, 256 cm x 196 cm, somehow magically holds the viewer’s attention. Experts say that this is a special dynamic circle that controls the gaze of a person looking at the picture.
The viewer peers at the image of the Mother of God with the baby in her arms, then his gaze moves to the golden robes of St. Sixtus, and, most importantly, his hand. Saint Sixtus extends his hand towards the viewer, as if including him in the composition. And the viewer involuntarily follows the gaze of the saint, again directing attention to the Madonna and the baby.
Next, the gaze slides to the image of St. Barbara, as the “chemistry” of perception of a similar color range robes. Saint Barbara looks down, inviting you to follow her gaze to the sweet angels. But when the viewer’s eyes stop at the pair of cherubs at the bottom of the picture, who directed all their attention upward, they invariably continue to move to the upper center of the canvas - to the image of Mary and the Child.
This is how he breaks down the magic of Raphael’s painting modern science. It is possible that the gaze of most viewers glides across the picture in exactly this way. There are always more visitors in the hall where the painting is shown than in other halls. An inexperienced visitor simply looks at the picture and absorbs the message that comes from the composition. Connoisseurs are especially biased. They are interested in both the general perception of the composition and the details.
From my experience I will say that Raphael’s “Madonna” has a multifaceted effect. The pictorial canvas holds when viewed directly. I want to take a closer look, but questions also arise... From whom did the author write? beautiful image.. How did it happen that best job Raphael, the main artist of the Vatican, was kept in the church of the small town of Piacenza?.. And why did Augustus III acquire this particular painting for his collection, while Raphael Santi dedicated many of his works to the Madonna and Child?..
The history of the creation of the painting Sistine Madonna
Some researchers suggest that Raphael created this masterpiece for St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The order came from Pope Julius II. A place was also provided for the painting - in the chapel where Pope Sixtus IV was buried. But during the reconstruction of the temple, Sixtus IV was reburied, and church canons did not allow the magnificent painting to be moved to the altar.
IN main church The Vatican strictly observed these canons, but on the periphery, to which the city of Piacenza belonged, such rules were not so adherent. Therefore, Raphael’s painting was moved to the Church of St. Sixtus at the monastery in Piacenza.
The work of the famous Italian painter haunted the Saxon Elector Augustus III, who wished to supplement his collection with the image of the Madonna by Raphael. Augustus III looked at the painting “Madonna of Foligno”, which the author painted a year earlier - in 1511-12.
This painting was in the Vatican, and the Pope opposed the trade. During lengthy negotiations, interest shifted to the painting “The Sistine Madonna,” and the head of the Roman Catholic Church relented. Moreover, restoration began in the Piacenza temple.
So the masterpiece ended up in Germany, and with mid-19th century permanent place The painting's location is the Old Masters Gallery in .
For modern visitors it is important to know where exactly Raphael's Sistine Madonna is located. This is the second floor (in our understanding, not the European one), where paintings are exhibited, belonging to the era High Renaissance.
And yet, who was given the honor of posing for Raphael when creating the image of Madonna? More and more sources confirm that this is the painter’s secret lover Margarita Luti. The same features as in the image of the Madonna can be seen in the portrait of Fornarina and in the painting of Saint Cecilia.
It is amazing that a brilliant artist, bound by strong ties to the Vatican, did not even have the right to open feelings. His official bride was the Cardinal's niece Maria da Bobbiena. It seems that Rafael Santi did not intend to marry her or paint pictures of her face...
Returning to the painting “Sistine Madonna”, it should be clarified that exactly in the Dresden art gallery the original is located. There are also copies of the painting. In the same city of Piacenza there is a copy created back in 1730 by Pier Antonio Avanzini. And how many more lesser-known copies there are!
Gallery Old Masters on the map of Dresden
“The genius of pure beauty” - this is what Vasily Zhukovsky said about the “Sistine Madonna”. Later Pushkin borrowed this image and dedicated it earthly woman- Anna Kern. Raphael also painted the Madonna with real person probably from his own mistress
1. Madonna. Some researchers believe that the image Holy Virgin Raphael wrote from his mistress Margherita Luti. 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. - Note "Around the world")».
2. Child Christ. 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 oneself for the salvation of humanity.
3. Sixtus 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.
4. Hands of Sixtus. Raphael wrote the holy pope pointing right hand on the altar crucifix (remember that the “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. Left hand the high priest is pressed to his chest - as a sign of devotion to the Virgin Mary.
5. Papal tiara removed 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.
6. 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.
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.
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.
9. Open curtain symbolizes the open heavens. His green color indicates the mercy of God the Father, who sent his son to death to save people.
Pushkin borrowed a poetic formula from an older contemporary and turned it to an earthly woman - Anna Kern. However, this transfer is relatively natural: Raphael may have painted the Madonna with real character- his own mistress.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Rome fought a difficult war with France for the possession of the northern lands of Italy. In general, luck was on the side of the papal troops, and the northern Italian cities, one after another, went over to the side of the Roman pontiff. In 1512, Piacenza, a town 60 kilometers southeast of Milan, did the same. For Pope Julius II, Piacenza was more than just a new territory: here was the monastery of St. Sixtus, the patron saint of the Rovere family, to which the pontiff belonged. To celebrate, Julius II decided to thank the monks (who actively campaigned for joining Rome) and ordered from Raphael Santi (by that time already a recognized master) an altar image in which the Virgin Mary appears to Saint Sixtus.
Raphael liked the order: it allowed him to saturate the painting with symbols that were important to the artist. The painter was a Gnostic - a follower of the late antique religious movement, based on the Old Testament, eastern mythology and a number of early Christian teachings. Gnostics of all magic numbers they especially revered the six (it was on the sixth day, according to their teaching, that God created Jesus), and Sixtus is precisely translated as “sixth.” Rafael 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.
Work on the “Madonna” was completed in 1513; until 1754, the painting was in the monastery of St. Sixtus, until it was bought by the Saxon Elector Augustus III for 20,000 sequins (almost 70 kilograms of gold). Before the outbreak of World War II, the Sistine Madonna was in the Dresden gallery. But in 1943, the Nazis hid the painting in an adit, where, after a long search, Soviet soldiers discovered it. This is how Raphael’s creation came to the USSR. In 1955, the Sistine Madonna, along with many other paintings taken from Germany, was returned to the authorities of the GDR and is now in the Dresden Gallery.
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1483 - Born in Urbino into the family of an artist. |
ARTIST Photo: BRIDGEMAN/FOTODOM.RU, DIOMEDIA
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 with his right hand at 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 too 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.
Art of Italy 16th century. High Renaissance.
The painting “The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael Santi was originally created by the great painter as an altar image for the church of San Sisto (St. Sixtus) in Piacenza. Painting size 270 x 201 cm, oil on canvas. In the painting, the artist depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Pope Sixtus II and Saint Barbara. The painting “The Sistine Madonna” is one of the most famous works of world art. In Renaissance painting, this is perhaps the deepest and most beautiful embodiment of the theme of motherhood. For Rafael Santi, it was also a kind of result and synthesis of many years of research in the topic closest to him. Raphael wisely used here the possibilities of a monumental altar composition, the view of which opens in the distant perspective of the church interior immediately, from the moment the visitor enters the temple. From a distance, the motif of an opening curtain, behind which, like a vision, a Madonna appears walking on the clouds with a child in her arms, should give the impression of captivating power. The gestures of Saints Sixtus and Barbara, the upward gaze of the angels, the general rhythm of the figures - everything serves to attract the viewer’s attention to the Madonna herself.
Compared with the images of other Renaissance painters and with previous jobs Raphael's painting "The Sistine Madonna" reveals an important new quality - increased spiritual contact with the Viewer. In the “Madonnas” that preceded him, the images were distinguished by a kind of internal isolation - their gaze was never turned to anything outside the picture; they were either busy with the child or self-absorbed. Only in Raphael’s painting “Madonna in an Armchair” do the characters look at the viewer, and there is deep seriousness in their gaze, but to a more certain extent their experiences are not revealed by the artist. There is something in the look of the Sistine Madonna that seems to allow us to look into her soul. It would be an exaggeration to talk here about the increased psychological expression of the image, about the emotional effect, but in the slightly raised eyebrows of the Madonna, in the wide-open eyes - and her gaze itself is not fixed and difficult to catch, as if she is looking not at us, but past or through us, - there is a shade of anxiety and the expression that appears in a person when his fate is suddenly revealed to him. It’s like a providence of the tragic fate of her son and at the same time a readiness to sacrifice him. The drama of the mother’s image is highlighted in its unity with the image of the infant Christ, whom the artist endowed with childlike seriousness and insight.
It is important, however, to note that with such a deep expression of feeling, the image of the Madonna is devoid of even a hint of exaggeration and exaltation - its harmonic underlying basis is preserved in it, but, unlike Raphael’s previous creations, it is more enriched with shades of innermost spiritual movements. And, as always with Raphael, the emotional content of his images is unusually clearly embodied in the very plasticity of his figures. The painting “The Sistine Madonna” provides a clear example of the peculiar “ambiguity” inherent in Raphael’s images. simple movements and gestures. Thus, the Madonna herself appears to us as simultaneously moving forward and standing still; her figure seems to float easily in the clouds and at the same time has the real weight of a human body. In the movement of her hands carrying the baby, one can discern the instinctive impulse of a mother hugging her child to herself, and at the same time, the feeling that her son does not belong only to her, that she is carrying him as a sacrifice to people. The high figurative content of such motifs distinguishes Raphael from many of his contemporaries and artists of other eras who considered themselves his followers, and who often hid nothing but an external effect behind the ideal appearance of their characters.
The composition of the “Sistine Madonna” is simple at first glance. In reality, this is apparent simplicity, because general construction The painting is based on unusually subtle and at the same time strictly verified relationships of volumetric, linear and spatial motifs, imparting grandeur and beauty to the painting. Her impeccable balance, devoid of artificiality and schematism, does not in the least hinder the freedom and naturalness of the figures’ movements. The figure of Sixtus, dressed in a wide robe, for example, is heavier than the figure of Varvara and is located slightly lower than her, but the curtain above Varvara is heavier than above Sixtus, and thereby the necessary balance of masses and silhouettes is restored. Such a seemingly insignificant motif, like the papal tiara, placed in the corner of the picture on the parapet, has great figurative and compositional significance, introducing into the picture that share of the feeling of the earthly firmament that is required to give the heavenly vision the necessary reality. The expressiveness of Raphael Santi’s melodious lines is sufficiently evidenced by the contour of the Madonna’s figure, powerfully and freely outlining her silhouette, full of beauty and movement.
How was the image of the Madonna created? Was there for him real prototype? In this regard, a number of things are associated with the Dresden painting ancient legends. Researchers find similarities in the Madonna's facial features with the model of one of the women's portraits Raphael - the so-called “Lady in the Veil” (“La Donna Velata”, 1516, Pitti Gallery). But in resolving this issue, first of all, one should take into account famous saying Raphael himself from a letter to his friend Baldassare Castiglione that in creating the image of perfect female beauty he is guided by a certain idea that arises on the basis of many impressions from the beauties the artist saw in life. In other words, the basis of the creative method of the painter Raphael Santi is the selection and synthesis of observations of reality.
Raffaello Santi or Raffaello Sanzio
Italian painter and architect. Graphic, representative of the Umbrian school.
Rafael lost his parents early. The mother, Margie Charla, died in 1491, and the father, Giovanni Santi, died in 1494.
Raphael, son of the painter Giovanni Santi, early years spent in Urbino. In 1500-1504, Raphael, according to Vasari, studied with the artist Perugino in Perugia. The works of this period of Raphael's work are marked by subtle poetry and soft lyricism of landscape backgrounds
From 1504, Raphael worked in Florence, where he became acquainted with the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolommeo, and studied anatomy and scientific perspective. Moving to Florence played a huge role in Raphael's creative development. Of primary importance for the artist was familiarity with the method of the great Leonardo da Vinci.
The first order in Florence comes from Agnolo Doni for portraits of him and his wife, the latter painted by Raphael under the obvious impression of La Gioconda. It was for Agnolo Doni that Michelangelo Buonarroti created the tondo “Madonna Doni” at this time.
In Florence, Raphael created about 20 Madonnas. Although the plots are standard: the Madonna either holds the Child in her arms, or he plays next to John the Baptist, all Madonnas are individual and are distinguished by a special maternal charm (apparently early death mother left a deep imprint on Raphael’s soul).
Raphael received an invitation from Pope Julius II to Rome, where he was able to become more familiar with ancient monuments and took part in archaeological excavations.
Having moved to Rome, the 26-year-old master receives the position of “artist of the Apostolic See” and the commission to paint the state chambers Vatican Palace, from 1514 he directed the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral, worked in the field of church and palace architecture, in 1515 he was appointed Commissioner of Antiquities, responsible for the study and protection of ancient monuments, archaeological excavations.
IN last years During his life, Raphael was so overloaded with orders that he entrusted the execution of many of them to his students and assistants (Giulio Romano, Giovanni da Udine, Perino del Vaga, Francesco Penni and others), usually limiting himself to general supervision of the work.
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.
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.
The artist lived for 37 years. 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.”
All his paintings, individually, are masterpieces. But today we will tell you about a painting called “The Sistine Madonna.”
Sistine Madonna
Madonna Sistina
A painting by Raphael, which has been in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden since 1754. It belongs to the generally recognized peaks of the High Renaissance.
Of all the paintings, Raphael’s most perfect creation was the famous “Sistine Madonna” (1512-1513).
This painting was commissioned by Julius II for the altar of the church of the monastery of St. Sixtus in Piacenza. “The Sistine Madonna is truly symphonic. The interweaving and meeting of lines and masses of this canvas amazes with its internal rhythm and harmony. But the most phenomenal thing in this large canvas is the painter’s mysterious ability to bring all the lines, all the shapes, all the colors into such a marvelous correspondence that they serve only one, the artist’s main desire - to make us look, look tirelessly at sad eyes Maria."
“I wanted to be an eternal viewer of one picture,” said Pushkin about the “Sistine Madonna.”
This Renaissance masterpiece was first painted by the artist without the help of his students and showed the Mother of God literally descending on the viewer, turning her soft gaze on him.
Many said that the painting was created at a time when Raphael was experiencing personal grief, so he put his sadness into the image of a beautiful maiden with sad eyes. In the mother's gaze, the viewer is able to read excitement and humility - feelings caused by the anticipation of the inevitable tragic fate own son. Madonna tenderly hugs the child to herself, as if sensing the moment when she will have to tear the tender baby away from her heart and introduce the Savior to humanity.
Initially, the “Sistine Madonna” was conceived as an altar image for the chapel of the monastery of St. Sixtus. At that time, for such work, craftsmen “trained their hands” on a wooden board, but Raphael Santi depicted the Mother of God on canvas, and soon her figure towered majestically above the semicircular choir of the church.
The artist depicted his Madonna barefoot, covered in a simple veil and devoid of an aura of holiness. In addition, many viewers noted that the woman was holding the child in her arms the way simple peasant women did. Despite the fact that the Virgin is deprived of the visible attributes of high origin, other characters in the picture greet her as a queen.
Young Barbara expresses reverence for the Madonna with her gaze, and Saint Sixtus kneels before her and extends his hand, which marks the symbol of the appearance of the Mother of God to people. If you look closely, it seems as if six fingers “flaunt” on Sixtus’ outstretched hand. There were legends that by doing so Rafael wanted to beat original name bishop of Rome, which is translated from Latin as “sixth.” In fact, the presence of an extra finger is just an illusion, and the viewer sees inner side Sixtus's palms.
–The more you look, the more you feel the incomprehensibility of these beauties: every feature is considered, filled with an expression of grace, connected with in the strictest style. Karl Bryullov.
There are many legends surrounding this painting.
One of them says that the prototype of the legendary Madonna was Fornarina, the artist’s beloved woman and model. But in a friendly letter to Baldassare Castiglione, the master said that he did not create the image of perfect beauty with a certain girl, but synthesized his impressions of many beauties that Raphael was destined to meet.
According to Stam, “his forehead (the Christ child) 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 oneself for the salvation of humanity.
Raphael painted the holy pope pointing with his right hand at the altar crucifix. It is curious that the artist depicted six fingers on the pontiff’s hand - another six encrypted in the painting. The high priest's left hand is pressed to his chest as a sign of devotion to the Virgin Mary.
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.
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.
It must be said that fame came to her much later after it was written. For two centuries it gathered dust in Piacenza, until mid-18th century centuries, Augustus III, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, did not buy it, and did not take 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. It didn’t matter to August whether to buy this painting or another, the main thing was Raphael’s brushes. It was his paintings that were missing from the Elector’s collection.
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.
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 storage rooms Pushkin Museum 10 years until it was returned along with the entire Dresden collection to the GDR authorities in 1955.
Source-Internet
“The Sistine Madonna” - the secret of the painting of the great Italian artist Rafael Santi updated: December 1, 2017 by: website
