This essay discusses Raphael’s altar piece
IIntroduction
The birth of Christ, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Pieta; religious art has always been an important tradition in the West.
This paper examines an altarpiece by Raphael, painted around 1504 (16.30 ab), first describing it briefly then considering it in more detail.
IIDescription
The first thing we notice is that the painting is in two pieces: the main subject, Mary and the Child, are in the center of the lower portion, which is a square. Above it is a semicircle with other figures in it. A heavy horizontal wooden bar, which is part of the structure that frames the entire work, divides the two.
In the bottom portion are the Madonna and Christ, surrounded by five other figures, four adults and a child. The four adults all have halos, so we can assume they’re the saints of the title. The child, however, is not depicted as divine, which immediately begs the question: who is he and what is he doing in this group?
In the semicircular section above the main picture are five more figures, which are clearly divine. In this section, God is flanked by two angels; there are two cherubim (or rather just their heads, which is rather disconcerting, particularly as they have rather sour expressions) floating one on either side of him as well. Thus the composition is balanced in the number of figures, five above and five below.
The colors in the work are very rich, with deep reds, purples and blues predominating. The clothing is interesting, as the five figures below appear to be in contemporary Renaissance garb rather than traditional Hebrew or desert robes. God and his angels (except for those disembodied heads!) are portrayed in the flowing garments we tend to associate with depictions of heaven.
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IIIDiscussion
The first thing that draws the eye is the luminosity of the sky behind the figures. It is a glowing purplish-blue at the horizon line that shades into a deeper blue toward the top of the composition. This background tends to “pop” the figures out at the viewer.
The two distinct parts of the painting house two distinct groups of figures, which serve to separate the human from the divine. Mary, the Christ, the saints and the little boy all still belong to the mundane world of earthly things, while God and the angels are part of something much greater. The square that contains the five human figures also constrains them, while the semicircle that arches over them suggests unlimited freedom; the angles and lines are rigid; the curve is fluid.
The overall shape of the grouping is a triangle, with God as the apex. However, that is not the immediate impression one gets, because of the strong horizontal. Instead, the eye tends to focus on Mary and the baby first, because they are directly in the center of the work.
The figures are strangely disconnected; each of them seems to be concentrating on his or her thoughts to the exclusion of the others. God has his eyes shut; the angel to his left is looking in his direction but apparently not directly at him; and the one to his right is looking at us. This is a startling effect, as if the observer is being observed – and judged – by the forces of heaven. This is one of only three figures in the painting that look outward, and the only one that engages the viewer directly. But although this tends to draw the viewer into the painting, the effect is not comforting, for the angel is not smiling. He/she seems distrustful, even menacing, perhaps to remind us that we must someday stand before God to be judged.
In the lower part of the picture, the two figures to Mary’s right are also “disconnected” from us and from each other. The woman in the rear seems to be staring down at the arm of the throne, while the man in the foreground, though he’s looking out of the canvas, is not looking directly at the viewer. He seems to be lost in a daydream. To Mary’s left, the man in the foreground is holding an open book, but he’s not focused on it; he’s looking past it. The woman behind him is the other figure who’s looking at us, but she seems somehow abstracted and rather dreamy; her gaze has none of the shocking impact of the angel’s.
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The central trio, Mary and the two children, is the only compositional unit that really seems cohesive, because there is a lively exchange here. Mary has her right arm around the Christ child and her left hand behind the other little boy’s head. She is watching him, while he and the infant Jesus look at each other. The Christ has his hand raised to bless the other boy, and it is instantly apparent that there is a warmth among the three that does not manifest itself anywhere else in the painting.
Raphael does include us in the painting by having the figures turned so that we are in the center of them simply by looking at Mary. The men and women that flank her also include us within the circle by virtue of their placement, and the fact that they are turned slightly so that they can watch both Mary and us. Also, their divided attention makes room for us.
The architecture is interesting, because it seems so medieval. Mary is seated on a throne beneath a canopy. There are three steps up to the level on which she’s sitting, which makes her seem like a queen watching a joust. In the far distance, on the right, is a church with a tall spire, obviously a contemporary structure. Perhaps Raphael is reiterating the importance of religion in the daily life of the times. The church is beautifully drawn and perfectly proportioned; a wonderful illustration of the use of perspective.
Overall, the effect that these various figures looking off in all directions gives to the painting is one of fragmentation. They don’t seem to be part of a coherent whole, but instead look like one of those group photos where somebody dragged out a camera, rounded up a bunch of unwilling friends and yelled, “OK, say cheese!”, capturing some with their eyes closed, others looking away, and some plainly fed up with the whole thing.
IVConclusion
This work repays close study with some rather interesting insights. The presence of the divine in human affairs is not shown to be warm and comforting, but disquieting, even frightening. Further, in their preoccupation with themselves, the figures remind us of just how human they are. Finally, the warmth of Mary with the children mediates the menacing angel above, drawing us toward her serenity and love.
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