#sistine madonna

[the-jonestown-holotape]

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Katharina Gaenssler’s book of photography commemorates the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna (2012).

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“Mysticism keeps men sane. As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity. The ordinary man has always been sane because the ordinary man has always been a mystic. He has permitted the twilight. He has always had one foot in earth and the other in fairyland. He has always left himself free to doubt his gods; but (unlike the agnostic of today) free also to believe in them. He has always cared more for truth than for consistency. If he saw two truths that seemed to contradict each other, he would take the two truths and the contradiction along with them. His spiritual sight is stereoscopic, like his physical sight: he sees two different pictures at once and yet sees all the better for that. Thus he has always believed that there was such a thing as fate, but such a thing as free will also.”

- G. K. Chesterton Orthodoxy via Whiskey River [Alive On All Channels]

[muskegmonster]

Two cherubs chao

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Raphaël (Raffaello Sanzio) (Italian, 1483-1520) Sistine Madonna, ca.1513-14 Gemäldegalerie Dresden

[transparentgentlemenmarker]

The Sistine Madonna de Raphaël, 1513-1514. Huile sur toile, 265 x 196. Gemäldegalerie, Dresde la toile avec la Vierge, l'enfant Jésus, saint Sixte et sainte Barbe est habituellement appelée La madone sixtine. L'espace imaginaire est créé par les personnages eux-mêmes. Ils se tiennent sur un lit des nuages, encadrés par de lourds rideaux qui s'ouvrent de l'un et l'autre côté. La Vierge semble descendre d'un espace merveilleux. Le geste de saint Sixte et le regard de sainte Barbe semblent orientés vers le fidèle, que nous imaginons au-delà de la balustrade au bord de la peinture. Le diadème papal, qui repose sur cette balustrade, agit comme un pont entre l'espace réel et celui de la peinture. La Madone apparaît derrière le rideau, confiante mais hésitante. Le rideau donne l'illusion de pouvoir la cacher aux yeux des spectateurs ou de protéger la peinture de Raphaël. Celui-ci a ensuite souvent peint des madones avec un ou plusieurs putti se penchant sur la balustrade. Le tableau était probablement destiné au tombeau de Jules II, parce que le pape saint Sixte était le saint patron de la famille Della Rovere alors que sainte Barbe et les deux angelots symbolisent une cérémonie funèbre. La toile a été exposée dans le couvent de la rue Sixte et a plus tard été donnée par les moines à Auguste III, roi de Saxe. Elle a été conservée à Moscou après la deuxième guerre mondiale et est plus tard retournée à Dresde

[min-ute-s]

Sixtinische Madonna by Raffael 

https://gemaeldegalerie.skd.museum/en/exhibitions/sistine-madonna/

[peaceinthestorm]

Karl Schenk (1905-1973, Swiss) ~ Neugierige Knaben, n/d   [Source: MutualArt]

Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael) ~ Two Cherubs (detail of the Sistine Madonna), 1512 -1514

[artfoli]

Putti

Putti have been a common motif within art history, depicted as chubby (often winged) baby boys. While many mistakenly interpret them to be cherubs, they are different and represent different things. Putti hold various connotations and unfixed iconography. In their history they have personified the human spirit, pagan beliefs, God’s presence, romance and erotic love. Putti are present in both religious and secular art, adding to a variety of narratives, especially within the context of the Virgin Mary. Other interpretations represent the Putti in naughty celebration involving wine with mischievous natures. 

Due to the broad spectrum of Putti behaviour, there’s some ridiculous settings in existence. They can be seen pouring wine, getting drunk, riding animals, attending to religious/notable figures, or simply playing in an idyllic setting.

The first image is a depiction of Putti within the Sistine Madonna, 1512, by Raphael (1483-1520), one of the most iconic Putti images.

Of the four included here, there is: Cupido and Putti Playing with Bubbles, c. 1800, by a follower of François Boucher l Bacchus Entouré de Putti, 17th century, by Baldassare Franceschini (1611-1689) l Four Putti with a Lion and Other Symbols of the Resurrection, by a follower of Johann König l The Infant Bacchus Holding Up a Glass Filled with Wine Surrounded by a Bacchanal of Putti Drinking and Dancing, early 17th century, Flemish School.