The Sistine Madonna
7:00 AM |
| Raphael, Sistine Madonna, 1513 |
Happy 500th Birthday to The Sistine Madonna, and its lifespan filled with danger, secret negotiations, international intrigue, and
worldwide acclaim. Commissioned by
Benedictine monks, Raphael painted the piece as their altarpiece for the
Monastery of San Sisto in Piacenza around 1513.
The three main figures, the Virgin holding the Christ Child, Saint
Sixtus, and Saint Barbara form a triangular space while heavy curtains from
above open to reveal the heavenly scene.
As with other Renaissance paintings, the layout of figures is perfectly
balanced, unified by poses and gestures.
Raphael’s swirling drapery helps to direct the viewer’s eye to the
central theme, but also adds depth and realism to the masterpiece.
The painting remained relatively unknown until August III bought the work and moved it to Dresden in 1754. The Sistine Madonna’s reputation and popularity grew through hand-drawn copies, written descriptions, and eventually mass reproductions. During World War II, the Nazis stole the painting out of Dresden, a city nearly completely destroyed by allied bombing. In 1945, the Soviets whisked it away to the Soviet Union, taken as war reparations from Germany. Not until 1956 did the Soviets return the painting along with hundreds of other artworks, claiming that the painting needed major restoration.
It is
ironic that the Sistine Madonna’s most famous aspect is not Mary walking on
clouds, the emotionally complex depiction of Mary and Jesus, or the painting’s
international intrigue - instead it is the two child-like angels propping themselves up on
a wooden stage at the base of the painting.
These two have reached art superstar ranking, reproduced on everything
from holiday greeting cards to deodorant boxes. In Raphael’s art, children are
seen as the hope of mankind with purity and innocence. But those youngsters are certainly mature now.
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