Raphael, born Raffaello Sanzio, who painted Transfiguration, was one of the artistic geniuses of the Renaissance, and was compared with masters of his time, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. He changed the way people viewed art, because his work evokes such strong emotions and portrays personality. Raphael’s art is a good example of the High Renaissance qualities of clarity, spiritual harmony, and lifelike figures, but he was also able to apply subtle elements that reflect his yearning for experimentation and advanced techniques.
Many believe his art best represents humanism during the Renaissance era more than any other artist because of his ability to convey character clearly and simply.
As a young boy Raphael first studied under his father, Giovanni Santi, a painter for the Duke of Urbino, Federigo da Montefeltro in Urbino, Italy — a cultural hub for the Arts. His father taught him basic painting techniques and principles of humanistic philosophy. Raphael was only 21 when he moved to Florence where he studied the work of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
He became famous for his many paintings of the Madonna and Child, which demonstrated his characteristic human warmth and perfect figures. After just four years Pope Julius summoned him to Rome as a painter to the papal court. He was commissioned to paint the Pope’s private rooms, portraits, spiritual pieces, as well as creating tapestries. In addition to painting, he was also put in charge of church architecture, such as the construction of St. Peter’s basilica, and Roman ruins excavations.
Raphael was popular for his good humor and unassuming personality and quickly became the most sought after Renaissance artist in Rome. The entire papal court grieved his untimely death at the young age of 37 on April 6, 1520, also his birthday.
His last great painting, Transfiguration, was in progress when he died, and was completed by his two assistants, Giulio Romano and Giovanni Francesco Penni. It was commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici, later Pope Clement VII, as an altarpiece for the Narbonne Cathedral in France. However, he loved the masterpiece so much that he could not part with it and delivered it to the Roman Church of San Pietro in Montorio after he became pope. The masterpiece was moved to Paris by Napoleon in 1797, but later brought back to the Vatican where it remains today.Transfiguration measures 159 inches by 109 inches and was painted with oil paints on wood, even though Raphael preferred painting on canvas. The painting, a premonition of the resurrection, depicts two unrelated religious events from the Gospels of Matthew and Mark — the transfiguration of Jesus on Mt. Tabor, and the disciples failed attempt to cure an epileptic boy possessed by the devil. The top of the painting shows Christ miraculously lifted to the top of the mountain in radiant glory floating in front of illuminated clouds.
In the lower portion of the painting the apostles are unsuccessfully attempting to cast the demons from the afflicted boy, held upright by his father. The transfigured Christ above is portrayed as performing a miracle by curing the boy because the apostles are unable to cast the demons out due to their lack of faith. On the left, his disciples; James, Peter and John; react to the bright light and dramatic scene above them. The prophets Elijah and Moses are on each side of him. Two saints that share the feast day of the transfiguration, are shown at the left of James and John. It is believed that the two kneeling people are martyrs celebrated during the feast. Raphael brilliantly addressed the challenge of linking these different scenes by the use of light and shade by isolating the characters so that their gestures are highlighted and the viewer is led through the order of events.
The work demonstrates the Renaissance style of balance, proportion, and symmetry and depicts complex dramatic scenes that show emotion in their faces, gestures, and postures. The Renaissance was a time when artists developed advanced techniques, and Raphael never tired of experimentation. He demonstrated his masterful use of techniques in the shading and lighting in the lower portion of the painting that enhance emotions ranging from confusion and disbelief to fear and anxiety. Raphael was definitely ahead of his time in his creativeness, style, and techniques. The contorted poses and expressiveness of the characters in the lower half of Transfiguration was a forerunner to the mannerist style. The use of chiaroscuro, the effect of contrasted light or shadow, and the dramatic figures lend it more to the Baroque style, characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama and excitement. In the lower half of the painting the boy’s body is distorted and rigid. The woman who points the boy out to the apostles is also rotating in a distorted posture. The boy’s mouth is gaping open, possibly showing that the demons have left his body. The surprise and confusion on the faces of some of the other subjects is very evident, as well as the tension between them.
Some understand Transfiguration to represent the imperfection of man and the healing or saving power of God, but no definitive interpretation has ever been entirely determined. The world is still viewing this beautiful masterpiece and contemplating its mysterious beauty, and emotional drama. One has to wonder what Raphael imagined his message to be with this piece when he brushed his first stroke, but there is no question that it is a great representation of his own unique treatment of the Renaissance style and his supreme talent.
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