The Sistine Madonna by Raphael and Its Extraordinary History

Alongside the Mona Lisa and The Birth of Venus, it is likely one of the most famous paintings of the Renaissance: the Sistine Madonna by Raphael Santi (1483–1520). Created in 1513, this work is considered one of the highlights of the Italian painter and architect's oeuvre. The painting, also known in Germany as the "Sixtina", is now part of the Dresden Old Masters Gallery collection in Germany and is the absolute highlight of every exhibition.

However, it is not just the masterful execution of the scene with Mary and the baby Jesus that inspires visitors. The over 500-year history of the Sistine Madonna also fascinates the public. Its highly symbolic composition, the two cherubs that made their own careers, several changes of location, and the great influence it had on art history all contribute to its popularity and mythical status to this day.

Raphael Received the Commission for the Sistine Madonna Personally From Pope Julius II

Raphael was already a famous and sought-after artist during his lifetime. Along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti, he was one of the most important painters of the High Renaissance. He had especially made a name for himself with his Madonna portraits. Even while still living in Florence, he created numerous portraits of the Virgin Mary, for example:

• "Madonna with Child and Book" (around 1503),
• "Madonna Terranuova" (1505), and
• "Madonna Colonna" (around 1508).

Raphael's interpretations of this highly popular motif in Renaissance painting were characterised by their technical perfection and emotionality.

The Papal Commission and Its Political Significance

Pope Julius II also became aware of Raphael’s great talent and summoned him to Rome in 1508. The Pope was a great patron of the visual arts and initiated a collaboration between Raphael, architect Donato Bramante, and sculptor Michelangelo. In 1512, the Pope finally commissioned Raphael to paint a large work for the altar of the monastery church of San Sisto in Piacenza. This commission had a political background: the small town in northern Italy had recently been liberated from French occupation by papal troops. Subsequently, Piacenza was reintegrated into the territory of the Papal States. The Sistine Madonna was intended to commemorate and celebrate this event.

Description of the Sistine Madonna: A Scene Between Heaven and Earth

Raphael's Sistine Madonna portrays a scene that unites both biblical and earthly figures. At the centre stands Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms. The position of her feet suggests that she is moving forward. Presumably, she is crossing from the heavenly into the earthly realm.

Raphael gave his Madonna a very young and pretty face. Her gaze is directed at the viewer. However, her expression seems somewhat melancholic or even worried.

Raphael placed two famous religious figures alongside Mary. On the left side of the painting, Pope Sixtus II kneels, looking up at Mary. This pope was executed in the 3rd century under Emperor Valerian and is considered a saint and martyr. On the right side, Raphael positioned Saint Barbara. According to legend, she was killed by her father Dioscuros for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. She is also considered a martyr by devout Christians.

With these two figures, Raphael established a connection to the Church of San Sisto in Piacenza, for which the Sistine Madonna was originally created. Relics of both Pope Sixtus II and Saint Barbara were kept here. The monastery church, therefore, served as a place of worship for both saints.

Significant Elements in the Sistine Madonna

In addition to the main figures, Raphael devoted considerable attention to other, less prominent elements. This is especially true for the background. At first glance, it looks like a sea of heavenly clouds. But upon closer inspection, one sees that Raphael composed the cloud formations out of countless tiny angel heads.

The dark green velvet curtain also frequently appears in analyses of the Sistine Madonna. This curtain is often interpreted as marking the boundary between the earthly and the divine spheres. With it, Raphael is thought to have symbolically depicted Jesus's entry into the world. Additionally, the curtain serves a compositional function by supporting the geometric triangular arrangement of the three main figures, ensuring a balanced and harmonious composition.

Many descriptions of the painting also emphasise the relevance of the original altar space in the church in Piacenza for the significance of the Sistine Madonna. The painting's placement in the monks' choir of San Sisto is said to have significantly influenced its content and was deliberately incorporated into Raphael's design.

In its original position, the painting hung opposite a crucifix. Pope Sixtus II is pointing to this crucifix with his right hand. This has been interpreted as a symbol that the fate of Jesus, to die on the cross, was already known to all protagonists in the painting. However, after the Sistine Madonna was moved to the Dresden Picture Gallery, this direct relationship to the altar space was lost.

The Hidden Stars of the Painting Are Two Small Cherubs

The Sistine Madonna is one of the most famous works of the Renaissance and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Dresden annually. Yet Raphael's painting owes a considerable part of its popularity to two minor figures: the two little cherubs at the bottom of the picture.

This angelic duo is probably one of the most famous motifs in angelic art. For around 200 years, they have enjoyed a career of their own, apart from the actual main work. By the mid-19th century, they were reportedly being used separately from the main artwork, including as motifs on jewellery and postcards.

From the second half of the 20th century, they became recurring figures in the world of marketing and popular culture. They appear as motifs on countless consumer items, such as tableware, mobile phone cases, bags, bed linen, cushions, umbrellas, and coffee tins. The cropped image of the two cherubs is also popular in the form of sculptures or pictures.

Raphael certainly did not intend for the two cherubs to almost surpass the Sistine Madonna in popularity. In fact, it is considered proven that Raphael only painted them at the bottom of the canvas after the rest of the painting was completed. It is said that the lower half of the picture seemed too empty to him. Apparently, the cherubs were not part of the original concept for the painting. In any case, they don’t quite seem to fit into the scene anyway.

The protagonists Mary, Jesus, Pope Sixtus, and Saint Barbara create a serious, even dramatic mood. In contrast, the two cherubs appear almost as if Raphael is adding a touch of irony. They gaze up at the events above them with a dreamy, bored expression. They seem completely untouched by the pathos of the scene.

From Piacenza to Dresden: The Sistine Madonna Moved Several Times

Pope Julius II had commissioned the Sistine Madonna from Raphael for the Church of San Sisto in Piacenza. However, over the following centuries, the painting would change locations several times.

The first time was in 1754. The fact that the Sistine Madonna had to leave its traditional home for the first time was due to Raphael's great popularity. Not only was he highly regarded during his lifetime but also in the centuries that followed. In 18th-century European royal courts, owning a work by the Italian Renaissance master was a mark of prestige.

August III (1696–1763), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, who was also a great art lover, sent a delegation to Italy to find one of Raphael's coveted masterpieces. The art experts finally came across the Sistine Madonna in Piacenza, where it had led to a rather unknown existence until then. It took tough negotiations and a considerable sum of money for the monks to hand over the painting.

In the same year, the Sistine Madonna was presented in Dresden. However, it had barely arrived when it had to leave the city again. Due to the Seven Years' War from 1756 to 1763, it was temporarily moved to Königstein Fortress.

War Turmoil and Return to Dresden

Once again, war forced the Sistine Madonna on a small odyssey. During World War II, the picture was in immediate danger due to the air raids on Dresden. Like many other art treasures from the Dresden Gallery, it was taken to a railway tunnel near Großcotta in 1944. After the end of the war, the Red Army discovered the masterpiece and took it to Moscow. There, it was displayed at the Pushkin Museum and reportedly attracted over a million visitors.

Ten years later, the Sistine Madonna was returned to Germany. In 1955, it was first transported to Berlin, where it was displayed in an exhibition before returning to the Dresden Picture Gallery in 1956.

The Sistine Madonna as a Global Cultural Phenomenon

Today, the Sistine Madonna attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Old Masters Picture Gallery in Dresden every year. But its popularity is not a new phenomenon. Ever since it was moved to Dresden in 1754, it has enjoyed great popularity – among both the public and artists of various disciplines.

As early as the beginning of the 19th century, various painters were inspired by the Sistine Madonna, copying and quoting it:

• In 1809, Friedrich Burys painted a picture entitled "Electress Auguste copies the Sistine Madonna".
• In 1985, the Russian painter Mikhail Kornetsky addressed the story of the Sistine Madonna after World War II with the picture "The Rescue of the Madonna".
• Pop art icon Andy Warhol paid tribute to the work in 1986 with "Raphael Madonna $ 6.99".
• The legendary surrealist Salvador Dalí also interpreted the motif in his 1957 painting "Gala, My Sistine Madonna".

However, it was not only painters who engaged intensively with Raphael's Sistine Madonna; intellectuals and writers also took an interest in it. Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer dedicated a short poem to the painting, Friedrich Schiller referenced the Sistine Chapel in his play "The Bride of Messina", and Fyodor Dostoyevsky quoted Raphael's Madonna in "Crime and Punishment". For Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Madonna was "the archetype of mothers" and "queen of women", and Heinrich von Kleist is said to have spent hours looking at the painting every day. The Sistine Madonna by Raphael has had a lasting influence on art and culture, and will likely continue to do so for generations to come.