In December of 1516, Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici (the future
pope Clement VII) commissioned Rafaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as
Raphael, to paint this religious scene. The panel, which is over 4 meters tall,
was to serve as an altar piece for Narbonne’s Cathedral, where Giulio had just
become Arch Bishop. In the end, Giulio decided that he preferred to have the
painting closer to home and he had it installed in the Roman church San Pietro
in Montorio instead. These days, we can admire it at the Vatican Museum.
It isn’t hard to understand why Giulio found this piece so
hard to part with. With its exquisite colors, complex postures and expressive
light effects, it is a feast for the eyes. Raphael succeeded in creating a
spectacularly lively representation of a rather abstract episode from the
Bible: the Transfiguration. It takes place on top of Mount Tabor where the
apostles Peter, John and James witness the metamorphosis of their Christ. For a
brief moment, Jesus’ true, divine nature is revealed to them, ‘His face shining
as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.’ The Old Testament
prophets Moses and Elijah appear at his side.
Raphael combined the Transfiguration theme with another
biblical story, where Jesus’ disciples try - in vain - to cure a possessed
(epileptic) boy. The frantic, wide-eyed boy is shown in the front, surrounded
by his family. This drama adds a human dimension to the scene. To the left, the
apostles are desperately trying to determine how to help the young man. One of
them points up, indicating that the only one capable of curing him is Jesus.
The pointing arm is a visual aid as well, used to guide our
focus and to connect the upper and lower part of the image. With his
composition, Raphael wants us to realize that Christ belongs just as much to
heaven as to earth. The pyramid shape in the lower half of the painting leads
our eyes to the circle of light in the top half, where we’ll find the true
subject of interest.
(text: Maarten Levendig)
Comments