"Genius pure beauty"- Vasily Zhukovsky said about the" Sistine Madonna ". Pushkin later borrowed this image and dedicated it to Anna Kern. Raphael also painted the Madonna from a real person.
From the history of the painting
AT early XVI century, Rome waged a heavy war with France for the possession of the northern lands of Italy. In general, luck was on the side of the papal troops, and one after another the northern Italian cities went over to the side of the Roman pontiff. In 1512, so did Piacenza- a town 60 kilometers southeast of Milan.

For Pope Julius II Piacenza was something 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 Rafael Santi(by that time already a recognized master) altarpiece, on which the Virgin Mary appears to Saint Sixtus.

Raphael liked the order: it allowed to saturate the picture with symbols that are important for the artist. The painter was gnostic- an adherent of the late antique religious movement, based on Old Testament, Eastern mythology and a number of early Christian teachings. Gnostics of all magic numbers especially honored six(It was on the sixth day, according to their teaching, that God created Jesus), and Sixtus is just translated as “sixth”.

Rafael decided to beat this coincidence. Therefore, compositionally, the picture, according to the Italian art critic Matteo Fizzi, encrypts a six in itself: it is made up of six figures that together form a hexagon.
What are the secret symbols in the picture?

1 MADONNA. It is believed that the image of the Holy Virgin Raphael wrote with his beloved Fornarina (Margherita Luti). Fornarina - from Italian. La Fornarina, "The Baker".
According to the Russian art historian Sergei Stam, “in the eyes of the Sistine Madonna, openness and gullibility, ardent love and tenderness for the child, and at the same time alertness and anxiety, but at the same time readiness to perform a feat (give her son to death) froze.”

2 CHILD CHRIST. According to Stam, “His forehead is not childishly high, and his eyes are not childishly serious. His eyes look at the world that has opened before them intently, tensely, with bewilderment and fear. And at the same time, in the look of Christ one can read the determination to follow the will of God the Father, the determination to sacrifice oneself for the salvation of mankind.
3 SIXT II. Very little is known about the Roman pontiff. He did not stay on the holy throne for long - from 257 to 258 - and was executed under the emperor Valerian by beheading.
Saint Sixtus was the patron of the Italian papal family Rovere (Italian "oak"). Therefore, acorns and oak leaves are embroidered on his golden robe.
4 HANDS OF SIXSTA. Raphael wrote the holy pope pointing right hand on the throne crucifix (recall 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 picture. (In fact, the apparent sixth finger (little finger) is part of the inside of the palm).
Left hand the high priest is pressed to his chest - as a sign of devotion to the Virgin Mary.
5 The PAPS TIARA is removed from the head of the pontiff as a token of reverence for the Madonna. The tiara consists of three crowns, symbolizing the realm of the Father, the Son and the 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, secretly from her pagan father, converted to faith in Jesus. The father tortured and beheaded the apostate 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 unborn souls who are in heaven and glorify the Almighty.
8 ANGELS. The two angels at the bottom of the picture look impassively into the distance. Their apparent indifference is a symbol of acceptance of the inevitability of divine providence: the cross is destined for Christ, and he cannot change his fate.
9 THE OPEN CURTAIN symbolizes the open skies. His green color indicates the mercy of God the Father, who sent his son to death for the salvation of people.
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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 August III for 20,000 sequins (almost 70 kilograms of gold).
Before the start of World War II, the Sistine Madonna was in a gallery in Dresden. But in 1943, the Nazis hid the painting in an adit, where, after a long search, it was discovered. soviet soldiers. So the creation of Raphael came to the USSR. In 1955, the Sistine Madonna, along with many other paintings taken from Germany, was returned to the GDR authorities and is now in the Dresden Gallery.

ARTIST Rafael Santi

1483 - Born in Urbino in the family of an artist. 1500 - Started studying at the art workshop of Pietro Perugino. Signed the first contract - for the creation of the altarpiece "Coronation of St. Nikola of Tolentino. 1504-1508 - Lived in Florence, where he met Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He created the first Madonnas - “Madonna Granduk” and “Madonna with a Goldfinch”. 1508-1514 - Worked on the murals of the papal palace (the frescoes “The School of Athens”, “The presentation of the Apostle Peter from the dungeon”, etc.), painted a portrait of Pope Julius II. Received the position of scribe of papal decrees. 1512-1514 - Wrote the "Sistine Madonna" and "Madonna di Foligno". 1515 - Was appointed chief custodian of antiquities of the Vatican. Wrote "Madonna in the chair." 1520 - Died in Rome

The unparalleled creative rise of Raphael crowns " Sistine Madonna”, which marked The final stage its formation artistic method. The painting became a synthesis of many of the artist's findings and completed the evolution of the image of the Madonna in his work. Read about the painting by Raphael Santi "Sistine Madonna" in our article.

The composition of the painting "Sistine Madonna" by Raphael is simple: the figures form a triangle, and a two-part green curtain covering top corners paintings, emphasizes the pyramidal structure of the composition. The open curtain symbolizes the unfolded heavens, and its green color represents the mercy of God the Father, who sacrificed his son for the salvation of people. Raphael presented the appearance of the Mother of God as a visible miracle, using an open curtain for this. In such scenes, the curtain is traditionally supported by angels, and in the "Sistine Madonna" the curtain seems to be parted by the Holy Spirit.

"Sistine Madonna", Raphael Santi

The composition is so perfect, the angle of the picture is found so accurately that it creates a feeling of presence at the sacrament. And this "presence effect" is one of the main findings of Raphael in the "Sistine Madonna". The rhythmic structure, which is achieved through a special compositional arrangement of characters, focuses on the Madonna and Child in the center of the picture. The figure of the Virgin Mary, first depicted by the artist in full height and almost in life size, looks more majestic here than on other canvases by Raphael dedicated to the Mother of Jesus. This is the only time that Madonna looks directly into the eyes of the viewer. The gaze of the Madonnas in the previous canvases of the artist was never turned to anything outside the picture. Only in Raphael's Madonna della Sedia the characters look at the viewer, but the artist does not reveal the full depth of their experiences. And the serious, elusive look of the "Sistine Madonna" conveys a wide range of human feelings: maternal love, confusion, hopelessness and anxiety for further fate son, whom she - the seer - already knows. It seems that time has stopped, consciousness has narrowed and concentrated on this moment. According to ancient Italian tradition, the "Sistine Madonna" was placed on the main altar in the church of St. Sixtus opposite the wooden crucifix, so the faces of Mary and the Child reflect the feelings they experience at the sight of the martyrdom of Christ.

"Mary and the Child", a fragment of the "Sistine Madonna", Raphael Santi

According to the art historian Stam: “His (Christ Child) forehead is not childishly high, and his eyes are completely unchildishly serious. However, in their eyes we do not see any edification, or forgiveness, or reconciling consolation ... his eyes look at the world that has opened before him intently, intensely, with bewilderment and fear.

Choosing for his painting the composition of the “Holy Conversation”, already common at that time, Raphael introduced an innovation that made his image unique. By tradition, the composition of the "Holy Conversation" assumed the image of the Mother of God in real space, surrounded by various saints coming before her. Raphael imagined the Mother of God in an ideal space, lifting her from earth to heaven. The fact that the Mother of God is an unearthly phenomenon is evidenced by the ease with which Mary walks through the clouds, while Pope Sixtus and St. Barbara "drown" in the clouds. Usually the Mother of God was depicted sitting, and Maria Raphael descends to the ground to the people, St. Sixtus points to them praying in the church. Mary brings to people the most precious thing that a mother can have - her child - and, as she knows, to suffering and death. In this lonely procession of the Mother of God, all the tragic sacrifice to which she is doomed is expressed. So Raphael gave the gospel legend a deep human content - the lofty and eternal tragedy of motherhood. That's why the expression on Mary's face is so difficult. The dramatic and expressive image of Mary is not idealized; the artist endowed the Mother of God with both earthly features and religious ideality.

"Papa SixtusII”, a fragment of the “Sistine Madonna”, Raphael Santi

On the left side of the picture, the kneeling St. Sixtus reverently looks from the edge of the cloud at the heavenly image of the Madonna and Child. His left hand, as a sign of devotion to the Mother of God, is pressed to his chest, he asks her for the intercession of those praying in front of the altar. As a sign of reverence before Mary, the papal tiara, consisting of three crowns, which symbolize the kingdom of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The tiara is crowned with the heraldic symbol of the Rovere family - an acorn, and oak leaves are embroidered on Sixt's golden mantle. About Pontiff SixtusII very little is known, he stayed on the holy throne from 257 to 258. During the persecution of Christians in Rome under the emperor Valerian, Pope SixtusIIwas executed by decapitation. Raphael endowed Pope SixtusII features of Pope JuliusII, his patron. According to legend, SixtusII before her death, the Mother of God appeared with St. Barbara, who relieves the suffering of the dying.

"St. Barbara”, fragment of the “Sistine Madonna”, Raphael Santi

On the right, Raphael wrote to St. Barbara, who was considered the patroness of Piacenza. This holy martyrIII centuries, distinguished by extraordinary beauty, secretly from her pagan father, she converted to the Christian faith. By order of the emperor, for her commitment to Christianity, she was beheaded by her own father, Dioscorus. Barbara was canonized as a saint and has since been considered the patroness of the tormented. The downcast look of the kneeling St. Barbara and her posture express humility and reverence.

Raphael depicted the clouds in the form of angels singing the glory of the Lord. And two impassive angels at the bottom of the picture symbolize the inevitability of Divine Providence: Christ cannot change his fate and avoid the predestined painful death.

"Angels", a fragment of the "Sistine Madonna", Rafael Santi

The Sistine Madonna has become a classic of world art. "Different generations different people saw in the "Sistine Madonna" their own. Some saw in it the expression of only a religious idea. Others interpreted the picture from the point of view of the moral and philosophical content hidden in it. Still others valued artistic perfection in it. But, apparently, these three aspects are inseparable from each other. (V.N. Grashchenkov, author of the book "Raphael").

Description of the painting by Raphael “Sistine Madonna”

One of the great creative people Italy has Rafael Santi.
He is also a talented painter, graphic artist and architect.
His works adorn many churches.
The artist's favorite muse has always been Madonna.
He dedicated many paintings to her, as in the beginning creative way as well as in maturity.
One of the most perfect paintings belonging to this cycle is the canvas "Sistine Madonna".
It was ordered by the monks for the church of St. Sixtus.

This canvas is an altar image, which reveals to the gaze of a person 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 carefully and maternally tenderly and reverently holds him.
She walks on a white, soft and even, it seems, warm cloud.
Her feet are bare.
The body is covered with a beautiful, satin, red dress, covered with a blue cloth.
On the head is a light shawl.
The baby is completely naked.

On the left side of the Madonna, Saint Barbara sits with her head and gaze bowed.
Her whole appearance shows humility, faith and reverence.
On the right side we see Sixtus II who fell to his knees.
He turns to Mary with a request to protect all those who worship and pray to her.
And behind the Virgin, barely visible in gray color and the light that comes from the Madonna, the face of many angels.
Two more angels, reminiscent of cupids, are shown in the very foreground of the picture.
Their movements and gestures are still quite childish and naive.
This gives the canvas warmth, care and humanity.

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 different and good in their own way. This review presents 5 famous "Madonnas" of the great Renaissance painter.

Madonna Conestabile

"Madonna Conestabile" - one of the early paintings by Raphael, created by him at the age of 20. It was written in Perugia before moving to Florence. On the young artist the technique of performance of such masters as Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo Buonarroti has not yet influenced, therefore the transferred image of the Virgin Mary with a baby in her arms is still too simple.

The Conestabile Madonna is the only painting by Raphael that is kept in Russia, in the Hermitage. In 1870, Emperor Alexander II acquired 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 was in dire need of money and, despite reproaches from the public for depriving them national treasure, sold the Conestabile Madonna for 100 thousand rubles.

Raphael's painting could well have left Russia during the period of active sale of the Hermitage heritage by the Bolsheviks, but for some reason no one bought a tiny canvas measuring 17.5x18 cm, and it remained in the museum's exposition.

Madonna Granduka

When Raphael arrived in Florence in 1504, he became acquainted with the work of Leonardo da Vinci and mastered the sfumato (smooth transition from light to shadow) technique that he used Great master. It was then that the "Madonna Granduka" appeared.

Looking at the canvas, it seems that it literally glows. Madonna's eyes are lowered, which means humility. Her clothes are made in traditional colors. Red means the sacrificial blood of Christ, and the blue cloak is 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 on a black background. Until recently, it was believed that Raphael himself decided to paint over the landscape, but recent studies have shown that black paint was applied no earlier than a hundred years after the painting was painted.

Madonna Alba

"Madonna Alba" Raphael wrote 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 to see the frescoes of the master. Under the influence of the works of Michelangelo, the artist painted the Alba Madonna. In comparison with earlier canvases, here the 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 magnate.

Madonna in the chair

The Madonna in the Chair differs from Raphael's previous works. In this picture, the Virgin Mary is more "earthly". If all previous images were born in the artist's head, then for this Madonna a real girl posed for him. The dress of the Virgin Mary is also unusual. The traditional red dress and blue cloak were replaced by the clothes of a simple townswoman.

Sistine Madonna

The Sistine Madonna is considered the pinnacle visual arts the Renaissance. She differs from Raphael's other "Madonnas" not only in composition, but also in her pose and gaze. If previous paintings were painted on wood, this one is made on canvas.

"Sistine Madonna" hung for a long time in one of the temples Italian city Piancenza until it was bought by Augustus III, Elector of Saxony. There is a legend that he ordered to move his throne so that the picture could be seen better.

Today the painting is in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden. Of course, the skill of Raphael is undeniable, but even in the "Sistine Madonna"

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“I remember a wonderful moment:

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You appeared before me

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Like a fleeting vision

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Like a genius of pure beauty…”

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We are all with school years remember these lines. At school we were told that Pushkin dedicated this poem to Anna Kern. But it's not. 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 from Pushkin famous poem Literally snatched from his hands. Who did Pushkin write about then, whom did he call “the genius of pure beauty”?

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Now it is known that the words "genius of pure beauty" belong to the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky , who in 1821 in the Dresden Gallery admired the painting by Raphael Santi "The Sistine Madonna".

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Here is how Zhukovsky conveyed his impressions: “The hour that I spent before this Madonna belongs to happy hour life... Everything was quiet around me; first, with some effort, he entered himself; then he clearly began to feel that the soul was expanding; some touching feeling of grandeur entered into her; the indescribable was depicted for her, and she was where only in best minutes life may be. The genius of pure beauty was with her.”

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The painting "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.

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In the picture, Pope Sixtus II, who was martyred in 258 AD. and numbered among the saints, asks Mary for intercession for all who pray to her in front of the altar. The posture of Saint Barbara, her face and downcast eyes express humility and reverence.

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According to ancient legends, Pope Julius II had a vision of the Mother of God with the Child. Through the efforts of Raphael, it turned into the appearance of the Virgin Mary to people. Main question: Is this piece a painting? Or is it an icon? Raphael sought to transform the human into the divine, and the earthly into the eternal.

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Raphael wrote the “Sistine Madonna” at a time when he himself was experiencing severe grief. And so he put all his sadness into the divine face of his Madonna. He created the most beautiful image of the Mother of God, combining in it the features of humanity with the highest religious ideality. The image of a woman with a baby captured by Raphael entered the history of painting forever as something tender, virginal and pure.

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However, in real life the woman depicted as the Madonna was far from being an angel. Moreover, she was considered one of the most depraved women of his era. If the priests knew that Raphael painted the Madonna from his mistress, then it is unlikely that she could stand behind the altar image in the monastery of St. Sixtus, for which this work was commissioned to the artist.

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This picture is not just a figment of fantasy or fiction of the painter. Every detail has special meaning and a story that has been explored only recently. Not so long ago, scientists took a closer look and saw that Raphael, in the main characters of the picture, 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 besides, hidden in the details interesting stories. According to researchers famous painting, the main characters, of which there are 9, form a hexagon and these details deserve special attention.

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The painter was a Gnostic - an adherent of the late antique religious movement, based on the Old Testament, Eastern mythology and a number of early Christian teachings.

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Of all the magic numbers, the Gnostics especially revered the six (It was on the sixth day, according to their teaching, that God created Jesus), and Sixtus is translated as “the sixth.” Raphael decided to play with this coincidence. Therefore, compositionally, the picture, according to the Italian art critic Matteo Fizzi, encrypts a six in itself: it is made up of six figures that together form a hexagon.

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1. MADONNA

Some researchers believe that the of the Blessed Virgin Rafael wrote with his mistress Margherita Luti. Whether this is really so is difficult to say now, but many artists depict the faces of their women on 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 gullibility, ardent love and tenderness, and at the same time alertness and anxiety, indignation and horror at human sins froze; indecision and at the same time willingness to perform a feat (to give his son to death).

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2. CHILD CHRIST

It is difficult to say whether the prototype of the son of the Lord was a real child, but if you look closely, you will see that his eyes are quite adult, moreover, in the eyes of a baby, Rafael portrayed the child’s understanding, even at that age, of his fate and her role for all of humanity . According to Stam, “His forehead is not childishly high, and his eyes are completely unchildishly serious. However, in their eyes we do not see any edification, or forgiveness, or 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 look of Christ one can read the determination to follow the will of God the Father, the determination to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the salvation of mankind.

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3. SIXT II

Very little is known about the Roman pontiff. He did not stay on the holy throne for long - from 257 to 258 - and was executed under the emperor Valerian by beheading. Saint Sixtus was the patron of the Italian papal family Rovere (Italian "oak"). Therefore, acorns and oak leaves are embroidered on his golden robe.

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4. HANDS OF SIXSTA

Raphael wrote the holy pope pointing with his right hand at the crucifixion on the throne (recall 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 picture.

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Although other researchers refute this theory: what many take for the sixth finger, in their opinion, is inside palms. When you look at a reproduction in low resolution, you may get such an 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. PAPA TIARA

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The tiara is taken from the head of the pontiff as a sign of reverence for the Madonna. The tiara consists of three crowns, symbolizing the realm of the Father, the Son and the 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, secretly from her pagan father, converted to faith in Jesus. The father tortured and beheaded the apostate 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 unborn souls who are in heaven and glorify the Almighty.

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8. ANGELS

The two angels at the bottom of the picture look impassively into the distance. Their apparent indifference is a symbol of acceptance of the inevitability of divine providence: the cross is destined for Christ, and he cannot change his fate.

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9. OPEN CURTAIN

The curtain symbolizes the open skies. Its green color indicates the mercy of God the Father, who sent his son to death in order 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 start of World War II, the Sistine Madonna was in a gallery in Dresden.

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But in 1943, the Nazis hid the painting in an adit, where, after a long search it was discovered by Soviet soldiers . So the creation of Raphael came to the USSR.

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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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ARTIST Rafael Santi 8:838

1483 - Born in Urbino in 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. Nicholas of Tolentino.
1504-1508 - Lived in Florence, where he met Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. He created the first Madonnas - "Madonna of Granduk" and "Madonna with a Goldfinch".
1508-1514 - Worked on the murals of the papal palace (frescoes "The School of Athens", "Bringing the Apostle Peter out of the dungeon", etc.), painted a portrait of Pope Julius II. Received the position of scribe of papal decrees.
1512-1514 - He painted the "Sistine Madonna" and "Madonna di Foligno".
1515 - Was appointed chief curator of antiquities of the Vatican. Wrote Madonna in the Chair.
1520 - Died in Rome.

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