Raphael's first Florentine period (1504-1508)
Raphael painting "The Holy Family, or Madonna with a beardless Joseph" (1506), kept in the Hermitage, refers to the early Florentine period of the artist's work. Joseph, Mary, and the Child form a remarkably simple, natural group.
Religious mood shade, not yet foreign "Madonna Conestabile" (1504), gives way to a purely human feeling.
Depicting Mary, the Infant Christ and St. Joseph, Raphael cleans his images of everything everyday, discards random features and everyday details, placing them on a pedestal of perfection. Flowing and smooth lines of contours, a roll of color spots, thoughtful arrangement of figures give rise to a feeling of harmony, grandeur and simplicity in the picture, inherent in the works of Raphael. The artist deviates from the traditional iconography of Joseph, depicting him without a beard - hence the second name of the painting.
Before us is an idyllic scene of family life. A minute of quiet silence, inexpressibly poetic inner experiences. These feelings are so ideally pure, so poetically express the holy warmth of motherhood, that if the Madonna of Raphael is now no longer possible to pray, then you still breathe in the mood of divine purity and a bright world in these bright images.
In "Madonna with a beardless Joseph" figures fill almost the entire surface of the painting and are, as it were, deployed in the plane of the relief. The baby's head is in the center of the composition. The diagram of the triangle in the images of the Madonna and the baby stands out clearly. Plasticity of forms, contrasts of lines, their slopes are vividly felt next to the verticals of the pilasters and Joseph's staff.
His figure perfectly completes the group, bringing it into harmony with the rectangular shape of the picture and putting forward its main images. The rounded lines of heads, shoulders and halos find their final harmonious response in the rhythmic curve of the arch over the light landscape. So the inner expression of peace, clear calmness is answered in the combination of all forms and lines and the light airiness of the landscape. How subtly thought out and weighed in creative work every feature of this enlightened appearance!
Already in the most early works Raphael's unique personality traits are evident. The young artist strives for concrete life. This applies to the greatest extent to the image of old Joseph, who was traditionally depicted with a large beard, emphasizing his age. Raphael portrayed the old man as beardless. This detail turned out to be so characteristic that Raphael's painting was called "Madonna with a beardless Joseph". Less brightly, but quite definitely, Mary and the Child Jesus are individualized.
The artist gives the figure of the Child in a complex spread, which undoubtedly reflects the influence of Leonardo. But at the same time, Raphael strives for the greatest simplicity and harmony of the image. The artist combines the three figures into a relaxed, but inextricably linked group. The composition of the painting is based on repeating and echoing motifs of a circle and a semicircular arch.
This technique gives the composition an amazing musicality, integrity and stability. An undisturbed calmness, although covered with light sadness, dominates the picture. A barely perceptible print dissolves into light, delicate color accords. Raphael achieves here such a coloristic subtlety that he did not always succeed in his later works.
Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin wrote the Renaissance elegy, inspired by the Madonna with a Beardless Joseph, exhibited in the Hermitage after restoration, which returned the original letter of Raphael.
Revival
A.S. Pushkin
Barbarian artist with sleepy brush
The picture of the genius blackens
And your drawing is lawless
Draws meaninglessly over her.
But alien colors, with years,
They fall off with old scales;
The creation of genius is before us
It comes out with the same beauty.
This is how delusions disappear
From my tortured soul,
And visions arise in her
Initial, clean days.
The painting "The Holy Family" was presented to Primorye residents Marina Ageeva, Director of the Nizhniy Tagil Museum fine arts... More precisely, not the painting itself, but a kind of video report on how the work was restored Raphael Santi.
“The painting was found in Nizhny Tagil in the attic of a manor house that belonged to Demidov, - she said. - In 1924 this building was transferred to the Tagilstroy trust, and while cleaning up, the new owners discovered the picture and did not immediately understand what they were holding in their hands. She was in bad shape. The board was broken in half, the paint layer was lost and there were numerous chips on it. Igor Grabar, an artist-restorer described that even traces of forged boots were found on it. Perhaps it fell and they just walked on it, not even suspecting that it was not a simple board. "
Another version of the "Holy Family (Madonna with a beardless Joseph)", attributed to Raphael Santi. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Gone long yearsbefore, after the restoration, she returned to the gallery. I can't even believe that this painting is more than 500 years old. She has a detective story. Art critics and historians have established that at first it was in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, therefore it has a second name - "Madonna del Popolo". It was popular, so in the 40s of the 16th century it was stolen, but soon the canvas was returned. In the 17th century, it was withdrawn by a cardinalSfondrati... And after his death, the painting was not found. She disappeared, and then appeared in the Church of Santa Casa (translated as - the holy hut) in the small town of Loreto (Italy). According to legend, she was born thereMaria - mother Jesus Christ... The masters of that century said that there was a copy instead of a picture. Perhaps she was taken out or hidden.
This picture was claimed by himself Napoleon... In 1797, he demanded an indemnity - one hundred paintings and other works of art. The Holy Family was acquired by him as a private deal. The wagon train went to France. He walked for three months, and for a whole month he stayed at the castle of the dukes Orleans.
The attendants were fed, watered and given all sorts of signs of attention. This is how a small sign appeared in the picture - the coat of arms of the duke Orleans - with three lilies. When the wagon train arrived in France, and the boxes were opened, instead of the original there was a pitiful copy, on which even the paint did not dry out.
The most famous "Holy Falconieri Family", Raphael Santi, 1507. Fragment. Photo: Public Domain
It is known that the "Holy Family" was in the collectionNikolay Demidov... He bought the canvas incognito. Several years ago, they found a note in the archives ofNikolay Demidov, in which he told what kind ofRaphael asked for 6 thousand guineas. Perhaps he or his children brought the painting to Russia, to Nizhny Tagil. Eyewitnesses said that some Italian icons were in the family cryptDemidov.
The unique work in the city was nicknamed "Tagil Madonna". A year and a half ago, an agreement was concluded with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on the demonstration of the painting on Sakhalin Island. Primorye also expressed a desire to show the canvas to the inhabitants of the region.
Public Domain
“She is taken out once a year by special invitation, but since we drove so far to the East, we agreed that she should visit Vladivostok, but not a month, but two whole months,” continuedMarina Vladimirovna... - I used to work in the museum as the chief curator. For me, all things were familiar. We were worried about them, like children: what kind of safety is there, is the climate good enough, how they will live here. Indeed, in the museum itself, the Madonna is in a separate room, where there are chairs so that you can sit down and reflect on art.
IN the museum itself did not attempt on her life. God forbid! I read the author's detective Markov... Two small sketches were stolen from our exposition in 1993 Levitan, the result was a detective. I read it, and suddenly I find lines, they say “what is there Levitan, they have there Raphael hanging. " With this detective I came to the city administration. She demanded to organize the protection of the country's heritage. So thanks Markov we have all the technical equipment of the gallery replaced ”.
"Holy Family of Falconieri", Rafael Santi, 1507. Fragment. Photo: Public Domain
A hall has already been prepared in the Primorsky Art Gallery, in which an exhibition of one painting will be shown. CanvasRaphael Santi will be a gift in the Year of Culture for Primorye residents.
"Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Francis" (Madonna col Bambino tra i santi Girolamo e Francesco), 1499-1504. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.
"Madonna Solly" (Madonna Solly) is so named because it belonged to the British collector Edward Solly. The painting dates back to 1500-1504. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.
"Madonna di Pasadena" is named after its current location - the city of Pasadena in the United States. The painting is dated 1503.
"Madonna and Child Enthroned and Saints" (Madonna col Bambino in trono e cinque santi) is dated 1503-1505 years. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, the young John the Baptist, as well as the Apostle Peter, the Apostle Paul, Saint Catherine and Saint Cecilia. The painting is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (USA).
"Madonna Diotallevi" (Madonna Diotallevi) is named after the original owner - Diotallevi di Rimini. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery. "Madonna Diotallevi" is dated 1504. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms, who blesses John the Baptist. John folded his arms over his chest as a sign of humility. In this picture, as in all the previous ones, the influence of Perugino - Raphael's teacher is felt.
"Madonna Connestabile" (Madonna Connestabile) was written in 1504 and later named after the owner of the painting, Count Conestabile. The painting was acquired by the Russian Emperor Alexander II. Now "Madonna Konestabile" is in the Hermitage (St. Petersburg). "
Madonna Conestabile "is considered the last work created by Raphael in Umbria, before moving to Florence.
"Madonna del Granduca" was written in 1504-1505. The influence of Leonardo da Vinci is felt in this picture. The painting was painted by Raphael in Florence and is still in this city to this day.
"Little Madonna Cowper" (Piccola Madonna Cowper) was written in the years 1504-1505. The painting was named after its owner, Lord Coper. The painting is now in Washington (National Gallery of Art).
"Madonna Terranuova" (Madonna Terranuova) was written in the years 1504-1505. The painting was named after one of the owners - the Italian Duke of Terranuva. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.
"Madonna Ansidei" (Madonna Ansidei) is dated 1505-1507 and depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, the adult John the Baptist and Nicholas the Wonderworker. The painting is in the London National Gallery.
Madonna Anside. Detail
"Madonna d" Orleans was painted in 1506. The painting is called Orleans because it was owned by Philip II of Orleans and is now in the French city of Chantilly.
Raphael's painting "The Holy Family with the beardless Saint Joseph" (Sacra Famiglia con san Giuseppe imberbe) was written around 1506 and is now in the Hermitage (St. Petersburg).
Raphael's painting "The Holy Family under the Palm" (Sacra Famiglia con palma) is dated 1506. As in the previous picture, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and Saint Joseph (this time with a traditional beard) are depicted here. The painting is in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Madonna del Belvedere is dated 1506. The painting is now in Vienna (Museum of Art History). In the painting, the Virgin Mary is holding the baby Christ, who grabs the cross from John the Baptist.
"Madonna with the Goldfinch" (Madonna del Cardellino) is dated 1506. The painting is now in Florence (Uffizi Gallery). The painting depicts the Virgin Mary sitting on a rock, while John the Baptist (left in the painting) and Jesus (right) are playing with a goldfinch.
"Madonna of the Carnations" (Madonna dei Garofani) is dated 1506-1507 years. "Madonna of the Carnations", like other paintings of the Florentine period of Raphael's work, was written under the influence of the work of Leonardo da Vinci. Raphael's "Madonna of the Carnations" is a version of Leonardo da Vinci's "Madonna with a Flower". The painting is in the London National Gallery.
"The Beautiful Gardener" (La Belle Jardiniere) is dated 1507. The painting is in the Louvre (Paris). The Virgin Mary in the picture sits in the garden, holding the baby Christ. John the Baptist sat on one knee.
Raphael's painting "The Holy Family with a Lamb" (Sacra Famiglia con l "agnello) dates from 1507. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and the baby Jesus astride a lamb and is currently in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
The painting "The Holy Family Canigiani" (Sacra Famiglia Canigiani) was painted by Raphael in 1507 for the Florentine Domenico Canigiani. The painting depicts Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth with her son John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary with her son Jesus. The painting is in Munich (Alte Pinakothek).
Raphael's painting Madonna Bridgewater is dated 1507 and is so named because it was at Bridgewater Estate in Great Britain. The painting is now in Edinburgh (National Gallery of Scotland).
"Madonna Colonna" (Madonna Colonna) dates back to 1507 and is named after the owners from the Italian family Colonna. The painting is now in the Berlin Art Gallery.
"Madonna Esterhazy" (Madonna Esterhazy) is dated 1508 and named after the owners from the Italian Esterhazi family. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms and seated John the Baptist. The painting is now in Budapest (Museum of Fine Arts).
"The Big Madonna Cowper" (Grande Madonna Cowper) was written in 1508. Like the Little Madonna of Cowper, the painting is located in Washington DC (National Gallery of Art).
"Madonna Tempi" (Madonna Tempi) was written in 1508, named after the owners, the Florentine Tempi family. Now the painting is in Munich (Alte Pinakothek). "Madonna Tempi" is one of the few paintings by Raphael of the Florentine period, in which the influence of Leonardo da Vinci is not felt.
Madonna della Torre was written in 1509. The painting is now in the London National Gallery.
"Madonna Aldobrandini" (Madonna Aldobrandini) is dated 1510. The painting is named after the owners - the Aldobrandini family. The painting is now in the London National Gallery.
"Madonna in a blue diadem" (Madonna del Diadema blu) is dated 1510-1511. In the painting, the Virgin Mary lifts the curtain over the sleeping Jesus with one hand, while embracing John the Baptist with the other. The painting is in Paris (Louvre).
"Madonna d" Alba is dated 1511. The painting was named after the owner - Duchess Alba. "Madonna Alba" for a long time belonged to the Hermitage, but in 1931 it was sold abroad and is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington ...
"Madonna of the Veil" (Madonna del Velo) is dated 1511-1512. The painting is in the Condé Museum in the French city of Chantilly.
"Madonna of Foligno" (Madonna di Foligno) is dated 1511-1512 years. The painting is named after the Italian city of Foligno, where it was located. The painting is now in the Vatican Pinakothek. This painting was painted by Raphael commissioned by Sigismondo de Conti, secretary of Pope Julius II. The customer himself is depicted in the painting on the right, he is kneeling before the Virgin Mary and Christ, surrounded by angels. Next to Sigismondo de Conti are Saint Jerome and his tame lion. On the left is John the Baptist and the kneeling Francis of Assisi.
"Madonna with candelabra" (Madonna dei Candelabri) is dated 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ child, surrounded by two angels. The picture is in Art museum Walters in Baltimore (USA).
"Sistine Madonna" (Madonna Sistina) is dated 1513-1514 years. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ in her arms. To the left of the Mother of God is Pope Sixtus II, to the right is Saint Barbara. "Sistine Madonna" is in the Gallery of Old Masters in Dresden (Germany).
"Madonna dell" Impannata is dated 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the infant Christ in her arms. Next to them are St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine. On the right is John the Baptist. The painting is in the Palatine Gallery in Florence ...
"Madonna in the chair" (Madonna della Seggiola) is dated 1513-1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the baby Christ in her arms and John the Baptist. The painting is in the Palatine Gallery in Florence.
Madonna della Tenda (Madonna della Tenda) was written in 1513-1514. The name of the painting was given because of the tent where the Virgin Mary with the baby Christ and John the Baptist are. The painting is in the Old Pinakothek in Munich (Germany).
Madonna del Pesce (Madonna del Pesce) was written in 1514. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Jerome with a book, as well as the Archangel Raphael and Tobias (the character of the Book of Tobit, to whom the Archangel Raphael gave a wonderful fish). The painting is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
"Walk of the Madonna" (Madonna del Passeggio) is dated 1516-1518. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary, Christ, John the Baptist and St. Joseph not far from them. The painting is in the National Gallery of Scotland (Edinburgh).
Raphael's painting "The Holy Family of Francis I" (Sacra Famiglia di Francesco I) is dated 1518 and named after the owner - King Francis I of France, now the painting is in the Louvre. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth with her son, John the Baptist. Behind - the figures of two angels.
Raphael's painting "The Holy Family under the Oak" (Sacra Famiglia sotto la quercia) dates from 1518, it depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, St. Joseph and John the Baptist. The painting is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Madonna della Rosa (Madonna della Rosa) is dated 1518. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ child, who receives a parchment from John the Baptist with the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God). Behind all is Saint Joseph. There is a rose on the table, which gave the name to the painting. The painting is in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
The painting "The Small Holy Family" (Piccola Sacra Famiglia) is dated 1518-1519. The painting depicting the Virgin Mary with Christ and St. Elizabeth with John the Baptist is named "The Small Holy Family" in order to distinguish it from the painting "The Large Holy Family" ("The Holy Family of Francis I") also in the Louvre.
Raphael Madonna
(Madonna di Casa Santi) - Raphael's first appeal to the image, which will become the main one in the artist's work. The painting dates back to 1498. The artist at the time of writing the picture was only 15 years old. Now the painting is in the Raphael Museum in the Italian city of Urbino.
1507, located in the Prado Museum of Madrid. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and the baby Jesus riding on a lamb.
Painting 1518, is in Madrid's Prado Museum. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, who receives a parchment from John the Baptist with the inscription "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God). Behind all is Saint Joseph. There is a rose on the table, which gave the name to the painting.
Madonna dnl Popolo (Madonna with a veil)
(Madonna with a veil, Madonna Loreta) - one of the most famous Madonnas of Raphael, written by him in 1508 by order of Pope Julius II for the temple of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, that's why she acquired this name. The painting hung in front of the customer's Raphael portrait. The pontiff was so pleased with the execution of the order that he soon commissioned the artist to a larger version of the plot - "The Sistine Madonna".
1516-1518, located in the National Gallery of Scotland (Edinburgh). The painting depicts the Virgin Mary, Christ, John the Baptist and St. Joseph not far from them.
Painting 1518, is in Madrid's Prado Museum. It depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Joseph and John the Baptist
Painting 1518, named after the owner of the King of France Francis I, is now in the Louvre. The painting depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth with her son John the Baptist. Behind the figure of two angels.
The subject of Raphael's painting (1505, Hermitage, St. Petersburg) was the traditional image of Mary, the infant Christ and Joseph, which has become widespread in European art since the Renaissance. Raphael deliberately refuses to depict a specific setting and everyday details. He seeks, first of all, to convey inner harmony and ideal mood, corresponding to this plot.
Painting by Raphael 1506, is in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. As in the previous painting, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and Saint Joseph (this time with a traditional beard) are depicted here.
The Hermitage possesses two works Raphael (Rafaello Santi1483-1520), one of them - "Madonna Conestabile" - was written, most likely in 1504, the other - "The Holy Family" - about 1506.
"Madonna Conestabile" (the name is conditional and, as in the works of Leonardo, comes from the name of the former owner) is a small-format painting (17.5 x 18 cm), slightly smaller than a sheet of a student's notebook, solved in the form of a tondo. It is interesting that Raphael begins with such almost miniature things (Madonna Conestabile is no exception; The Knight's Dream is close to her in size - London, the National Gallery; The Three Graces - Chantilly, Condé Museum, etc.), but it was Raphael who was to become one of the founders of the monumental style of the Roman school of painting.
The traditional theme is treated very simply. A young mother holds a baby in her arms. The views of Mary and Christ are centered on the book. The artist brought the group closer to the first plan, and gave the landscape as a wide panorama. The landscape clearly reflects Raphael's impressions of his native places - this is Umbria with a soft line of hills, calm surface of lakes and distant snow-capped peaks. Thin slender trees stretch upward, their branches not covered with leaves stand out in an intricate pattern against the background of the blue sky. Spring awakening nature is perceived as an accompaniment to the image of the Madonna, young and pure, like the world around her.
Raphael still follows the artists in this painting. early Renaissancewriting out the details - a boat sailing on the lake, people walking along the shore, some buildings in the distance.
The picture is framed by an elegant gilded frame. Its luscious grotesque ornament perfectly complements the meticulous miniature painting. Initially, the frame made up a single whole with the wooden board of the painting and, apparently, was made according to the drawing of Raphael himself.
According to legend, the artist wrote "Madonna of the Book" in Perugia for Alfio di Diamante, who bequeathed the work to his heirs. In the 18th century, the Alfano family received the title of Counts of della Staffa. In the same century, "Madonna of the Book" passed into the hands of della Staffa's relatives, who came to be called the Counts of Conestabile della Staffa. The Madonna with the Book, bought from this family in 1871, arrived in St. Petersburg. But during a trip from Italy to Russia, cracks on the wooden base increased. A special commission was assembled to decide how to preserve the "new" Raphael, and it was decided to replace the base tree with canvas. For this purpose, the picture was cut out of the frame, the cracks were glued together so that they became almost invisible. On the front side, fabric was glued to the painting and attached to a marble board. FROM back side They began to remove the tree, and when it was removed layer by layer, they found the original drawing of Raphael: the baby held a pomegranate in his hand. Then the paint layer was strengthened on a new canvas, and the sticker was washed off from the front side. Thus, the painting was transferred to canvas.
Why, in the process of work, Rafael refused the fruit, replacing it with a book, is unknown. But the meaning of the work has not changed. The subject plays an even more formal role in Raphael than, for example, in Leonardo da Vinci's "Madonna Benois". For all the compositional closeness of "Madonna Conestabille" to the Umbrian images, Raphael has that ingenious "little bit" that allows him to achieve crystal clarity of the image and composition. In search of a correspondence between the circle and the composition contained in it, he gently repeats the outline of the tondo in the tilt of Mary's head, in the line of the cloak that covers the left shoulder. But, unlike the later works of the master, the plane of the foreground remains defining.
In 1504, Raphael moved from his native place to Florence, where he spent four years. This period became very important in his life, as in Florence the young artist became acquainted with the most advanced art of his time, and above all with the art of Leonardo, who had a noticeable influence on him.
During his stay on the banks of Arno, Raphael painted "The Holy Family" or, as this painting is also called, "Madonna with a beardless Joseph".
The assumption that Raphael completed the painting for Guidobaldo de Montefeltro is based on the words of Giorgio Vasari: "... made for Guidobaldo Montefeltro, the then captain of the Florentines, two paintings depicting the Madonna, small, io excellent, in his second manner" (speaking of the second manner, Vasari means the Florentine period).
The painting changed many owners in its lifetime until it got into the famous Crozat collection. As part of this collection, it was acquired for the Hermitage in 1772. In 1827 she was transferred to canvas.
In the texts to engravings from the best things from Crozat's collection about the "Holy Family", the following information was given: "Monsieur Barrois bought this painting very cheaply, which belonged to the Angouleme house. It was kept in it without special attention. Being able to combine his work with the work of the creator, he rewrote it all again, so that Raphael's brush was no longer visible in it.But when Monsieur Barrois bought it, Vandine, clearing it of extraneous work, returned to the world her original letter, which instead of damage it became much fresher; the paints of an inexperienced painter applied to it served as a tire for it and kept it from the harmful effects of the air. "
This story was the reason for the creation of Alexander Pushkin's poem "Renaissance":
A barbarian artist with a sleepy brush Blacks the picture of a genius And his lawless drawing Draws meaninglessly over it. But the colors are alien with the years Fall away with decrepit scales; The creation of a genius before us Comes out with the same beauty.
The most interesting results were obtained during the study of the "Holy Family" in the physical and X-ray laboratory of the Hermitage. The picture taken in infrared rays made it possible to see the original drawing, made by the method, which in Russia was called powder. The artist pierced the contours of the preparatory drawing on the sheet with a needle, then it was applied to the primed base of the future work - canvas or wood - and rubbed with charcoal or paint. The substance, falling into the holes, left the contours of the pattern on the ground.
The drawing of the "Holy Family", invisible to the ordinary eye, is subtle and expressive. In addition, the author's corrections are clearly visible, for example, the outlines of St. Joseph, at first more elongated, his face is more individualized, he is almost bald, the shape of his ear has been altered, etc.
The excellent drawing found in infrared rays serves as indisputable proof of the belonging of the "Holy Family" to Raphael's brush, which was sometimes questioned, due to not very successful old restorations.
Compared to "Madonna Conestabile", "Madonna with a beardless Joseph" is done in a monumental way. The composition looks simple to the elementary, but the simplicity is deceiving, behind it lies strict thoughtfulness and accuracy of each part of the work.
Madonna's hairstyle - her hair is braided in braids - a greenish scarf and other everyday details do not diminish the impression of the majesty and solemnity of the scene.
Madonna is a typical Raphael image. Subsequently, the artist will write in a letter to the famous humanist Count Castiglione: "... in order for me to paint a beauty, I need to see many beauties ... But due to the lack of beautiful women, I'm using some idea. "These words quite clearly define one of the characteristic features the art of the High Renaissance masters is not just a blind copying of nature, but a generalization and typification of what he saw.
"The Holy Family" is a heartfelt and sublimely sad picture. The figures are depicted against the background of the steppe, but on the right, in the opening of the semicircular arch, you can see a calm landscape, which creates an amazing impression of the depth of space. If in other, similar in style and time of creation, Raphael's paintings, the baby is shown in a lively and frisky movement ("Madonna of Orleans" - Chantilly, Museum of Condé; "Madonna of Bridgewater" and "Madonna with a Palm", both - Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland ), then in the Hermitage work he softly clung to the breast of his mother, who thoughtfully hugs him to her, lifts him up to his eyes to St. Joseph, who answers him with a calm kind look. Maria's hand was about to touch the child, not just touching him. However, the artist hardly thought about the great emotional expressiveness of the gesture. The soft outline of the hand is continued in the rounded lines of the baby's body, in the crossed arms of Joseph. Raphael avoids sharp corners, sharp intersection of lines: “as a result of smooth contours, a roll of color spots, the arrangement of figures against the background of a steppe, a little lively with pilasters, the impression of harmony, grandeur, simplicity inherent in Raphael's works is born. quality, creates a new concept of beauty, a typical ideal of the Renaissance, the master purifies his images from everything everyday, prosaic, placing them on a pedestal of perfection.
Raphael is a complex artist. For many centuries, his authority was indisputable, his painting was considered almost the highest achievement of European art. In the XX century, which survived two world wars, Raphael seems to many to be too cold and calm. But the desire for harmony, which no one has expressed with such skill as Raphael, for humanity and perfection awakens an unremitting interest in the artist's work today.
In the Hermitage there are no originals of the Roman period of Raphael's work - the highest stage of the master's activity, which began in 1508, when he moved from Florence to Rome, and continued until his death.
In Rome, the master created such programmatic works as murals in the state rooms of the Vatican Palace, "Sistine Madonna" and others.
Partly an idea of \u200b\u200bRaphael's activities in The eternal city can give a copy from the Vatican gallery, the so-called Loggias of Raphael *, painted according to the plan of the great Urbino by his students in 1518-1519.
* (Loggias, a gallery open on one side with arched openings, were reproduced in the 1880s by the architect Quarenghi, who was building the Hermitage Theater. A group of artists under the direction of H. Unterberger copied the frescoes on canvases in the gallery of the Vatican Palace in Rome, then they were mounted on the walls in St. Petersburg. The reliefs available in the Vatican are rendered by means of painting.)
The copy in no way replaces the original, and yet it is of great importance as the only reproduction of the Renaissance interior within the walls of the Hermitage.
The solution of the gallery, built by the architect Bramante in Rome, determines the rhythmic alternation of arches dividing the gallery into thirteen parts; each of them ends with a cross-domed vault, which, in turn, contains four plot compositions. They are included in the ornamental frame. The paintings on the ceiling are called "Raphael's Bibles". The artist settled on fifty-two most important biblical stories, starting from the moment the god separates light from darkness, ending with the Last Supper.
The main impression the viewer gets from the loggias is the harmonious clarity of the entire structure; the construction of the gallery can be traced in the ratio of the bearing and the bearing parts. The painting is strictly coordinated with the architectural concept.
In the decor, Raphael created a free variation on the theme of antique paintings, the so-called grotesques. Such an ornament became widespread after the ruins of the "Golden House" were found in Rome at the end of the 15th century, a building from the time of the emperor Nero, which burned down in 64. The discovered ruins of the "Golden House" began to be called because of their resemblance to caves - grottoes and, accordingly, the ornament that adorned them - grotesques.
Vasari gave grotesques the following definition: "Grotesques are called a variety of painting, free and amusing, with which the ancients decorated the piers, where in some places nothing else suited but objects floating in the air, and therefore they depicted all sorts of ridiculous monsters generated by the whims of nature and fantasy. and the whims of artists who do not observe any rules in these things: they hung a load on a thin thread that it cannot withstand, attached legs in the form of leaves to a horse, and crane legs to a person, and endlessly all kinds of other funny undertakings, and the one who invented something weirder, he was considered the most worthy. Later they were in order, and they began to be very beautifully displayed on friezes and panels, and stucco alternated with picturesque ".
The grotesque ornament became very widespread in Italy, especially after the work of Raphael in the Vatican.
With extraordinary grace, with truly Renaissance freedom, with the richest imagination, Raphael combines ancient gods, satyrs, nymphs with motives taken from wildlife, introduces whole landscapes, creates garlands of vegetables, fruits, flowers, musical instruments... The murals stretch along the plane of the pilasters, obediently echoing the lightly round ceiling, which opens with a balustrade into the blue (picturesque) sky, or resembles an elegant mosaic.
Here, among the leaves - fantastic and real - squirrels jump, lizards slide, mice sneak, beetles crawl, and each time the artist avoids symmetry, giving the animals a different movement, placing a different number of leaves on the branches, changing one shape to another. None of the motives is repeated exactly, you can tirelessly examine one detail after another, constantly discovering something new for yourself.
In the paintings of the Loggias, the world is philosophically interpreted in its own way, its beauty and diversity are conveyed in a laconic and concentrated form. The dimensions of the gallery are perfectly correlated with the human figure. Elegant, spacious, filled with air and light, the gallery is a true brainchild of Renaissance architecture and painting. A person, according to the artist, should be aware of himself as the center of the world, bright and clear, and his mind should easily comprehend the laws of the universe.
The activities of Raphael and his students in Rome can also be judged by the nine frescoes in the Hermitage.
Most of them come from the Villa Palatina, according to legend, belonged to Raphael himself. Then the villa was in the hands of different owners, until it became the property of the Sisters of the Salesians, who adapted it for a monastery. However, the secular character of the murals - they are dedicated to the history of the Goddess of Love, Venus - was completely unsuitable for the new purpose of the building, and the nuns, in the words of the then director of the Hermitage, Gedeonov, “outraged by the liberty of the plots, in 1856 gave rather than sold the frescoes to the Marquis Campana, who hastened to transfer painting to canvas ".
The transfer to canvas and subsequent not very successful restorations led to the fact that even when they entered the Hermitage in 1861, the frescoes were in very poor condition.
As a result of the restoration carried out in the museum in last years, the painting was strengthened, but it is no longer possible to restore its original freshness.
Five frescoes replicate on an enlarged scale the lovely paintings created by Raphael and his disciples in 1516 in the stuffet (bathroom) of Cardinal Bibiena in the Vatican.
For an era that sought to reconcile paganism with Christianity, it is significant that the clergyman orders the artist to paint with the image of the gods of Olympus.
In Villa Palatina, the repetitions of Stuffet compositions have acquired a new sound, and not only because of large sizes, but also because in the villa they decorated the portico, and not an enclosed space, and thus were connected with the open surrounding space.
Antiquity is perceived by the artist as the golden age of mankind. The world shown in the paintings is majestically beautiful and harmonious, and its inhabitants, loving and suffering, do not lose their physical and spiritual perfection.
The plots of a number of scenes were inspired by the very famous "Metamorphoses" of the Roman poet of the 1st century Ovid. One of the episodes reproduces the moment when Cupid, kissing his mother Venus, accidentally wounded her in the chest with an arrowhead, which aroused her love for Adonis.
The mother once kissed a little boy, girded with a body, And with a protruding arrow he accidentally scratched her chest. Wounded, the goddess pushed her son away with her hand ...
A naked goddess sits under a tree, touching her wounded chest, Cupid stands next to her. the beauty human body for Raphael, as for the ancients, it is in full accordance with the beauty of the interior. Each time has its own ideal. If in this regard we compare the representations of the quattrocento and the cinquecento, then we can use the comparison of a bud with a blossoming flower. Raphael, who fully expressed the aesthetic norms of the era in art, gave preference to body forms that had reached full bloom and had nothing in common with the angular, sometimes fragile nudity of figures in 15th century painting.
In Venus Putting on a Sandal, the main theme of the fresco is the flowing gesture of the goddess, graceful and strong at the same time. The movement does not lose its softness even when it is intended to be swift, for example, in the scene "Venus with Cupid on dolphins", where the goddess and her son rush across the sea on dolphins. Then calmness sets in again: in another fresco, "Venus and Adonis", the goddess, tired of hunting, rests with her lover, "leaning against him, resting her head on her chest."
It is no coincidence that about the Palatine frescoes in one of the works of the XIX century it was said: "Beautiful, like a Pompeian painting."
Indeed, the paintings, conceived by Raphael and carried out by his students, capture the ecstasy of life and admiration for the beauty of man so characteristic of antiquity.
Despite the poor preservation, the frescoes expand our understanding of the monumental and decorative art of the High Renaissance.