description Sistine Madonna Overview
The Sistine Madonna is an altarpiece painted by Raphael around 1512 for the church of San Sisto in Piacenza and now held by the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden. It presents the Virgin and Child advancing through clouds, flanked by Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara. The two winged cherubs leaning at the lower edge became widely reproduced as an image independent of the complete Renaissance composition.
help Sistine Madonna FAQ
Who are the two famous cherubs in the Sistine Madonna?
The two winged children lean on a ledge at the bottom of Raphael's altarpiece, beneath the Virgin, Christ Child, Saint Sixtus, and Saint Barbara. Reproductions often isolate them from the much larger religious composition.
Why is it called the Sistine Madonna?
The title refers to Saint Sixtus and the church of San Sisto in Piacenza, not to the Sistine Chapel. Raphael painted the work around 1512 for the Benedictine monastery church.
Where is Raphael's Sistine Madonna now?
The painting is held by the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, Germany. It entered the collection of Augustus III of Saxony in the eighteenth century after leaving San Sisto.
What is unusual about the Madonna's entrance in the painting?
Raphael places Mary and the Christ Child within an opening of clouds framed by green curtains. Countless faint angelic faces emerge from the cloud-filled background, making the figures appear to advance into the viewer's space.
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