Arcadópolis
The Sistine Madonna
Raphael, 1512–1513
What you see
Green curtains part as if on a stage to reveal Mary, stepping barefoot across the clouds with the Child in her arms. Both look straight out. On the left, an old man in a golden cope kneels and points outward; on the right, a kneeling young woman lowers her eyes. Below, leaning on a ledge, two little angels gaze upward. The whole group forms a triangle.
Mary’s blue and red stand out between the gold of the cope and the green of the curtains. The background seems made of light, yet it is full of faint, almost transparent faces among the clouds. Notice the tiara resting in the lower left corner, the rod with rings that holds the curtains and the veil billowing behind Mary.
About Raphael
Raphael Sanzio was born in Urbino and learned painting very young from his father, who was also a painter. His gentle Madonnas and harmonious compositions made him famous in Florence and Rome, where he decorated the pope’s rooms. He lived only 37 years but left an enormous body of work.
More by Raphael
The Arcadópolis Museum has 443 public-domain works in 40 rooms, free to explore in 3D in your browser.