Arcadópolis
The Transfiguration
Raphael, 1516–1520
What you see
The painting has two levels. Above, over a hilltop, Christ floats with arms open inside a luminous cloud, between two flying figures, while three men lying on the ground shield their eyes. Below, in shadow, two groups face each other: on the left, men arguing and pointing; on the right, a wild-eyed boy held up by an older man.
The white light above contrasts with the gloom and the intense reds, greens and blues below. Pointing hands link the two levels. Keep an eye out for the kneeling woman seen from behind in the foreground, in a pink dress and blue mantle, the seated man with a book at the lower left and the two small kneeling figures at the edge of the hill.
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.