Sistine Madonna

What Is The Sistine Madonna?

The Sistine Madonna is one of the most influential renaissance artworks ever painted
It was first commissioned by Pope Julius II in July 1512
It was finished in 1513
It shows a saint's vision of the clouds, of heaven uniting with earthly figures
A virgin steps out holding baby Christ
Motivated by the countless angels in the background, she takes out and introduces baby Jesus to the world
On the right and left, Pope Sixtus II and St Barbara, both martyrs, lead the way
The painting has switched many hands, first in 1754 moving to a few fortresses and castles
During WW2, Hitler got a hold on the piece, soon to fall to the Soviet Union’s hands
Finally, it was returned in 1956 to Berlin and then Dresden, Germany where it remains today

The Sistine Madonna showed humanism in many ways
All of the figures are drawn realistically and modeled directly as if the figures were human, away from the style of classic medieval style paintings
Raphael also attempted to show the natural beauty of a human - realism
The Sistine Madonna was already a valuable and masterpiece of the arts when it first came on, but it grew in popularity as time went on
The painting was seen as an original example of renaissance art, on which there were many pieces of work copying or quoting the artwork
Poems and pieces were written on the painting, describing its beauty
However, the most famous piece of the painting is the two cherubs (angels) on the bottom of the picture
It is thought to be the last thing Raphael added, only because the bottom looked a little empty
Over time, those two angels became immensely popular, becoming icons and were being used everywhere from keychains to keepsakes
The legacy of The Sistine Madonna was vast: symbolizing core renaissance humanistic art, inspiring many artists and writers, and becoming a cultural icon with the two cherubs