This painting resembles a very similar painting by his teacher Perugino. You will also notice the 3D effect he creates with the columns and the dove in the distance. One of Raphael’s trademarks was to add deep perspective in his paintings with a light blue color sky to show the most distant point. In the background you can see two arches that open up to a clear sky. With ideal beauty reflected in her face and we see this even in the way she holds up her one hand in welcoming the Angel. Mary is sitting by herself reading a book and seems to be expecting this moment. The Angel Gabriel is approaching the Virgin Mary to let her know of the imminent coming of Jesus Christ (Annunciation). It was commissioned for the Oddi family for their family chapel in Perugia. Painted between the years 1502-1504, this is one of Raphael’s earliest works. He was buried, and remains to this day, in the Pantheon in Rome. Unfortunately, Raphael died at the young age of 37, supposedly from syphilis. Georgio Vasari, Raphael’s contemporary and biographer, called this painting “the most famous, the most beautiful, and most divine.” It was supposedly laid over his tomb during his funeral. The artist wants you to look at the scene below first and then work your way up to the top of the painting, culminating in Christ himself. In doing so, Raphael is guiding you on how to look at this painting by using your own senses. Our eyes are naturally attracted to brighter colors, and Raphael played on this perfectly by gradually making the colors brighter the further up you look. Remember that this was made specifically to be an altarpiece, so it would be up above our heads. Especially now, after the painting has been cleaned, we can see the colors the way Raphael and his contemporaries would have seen them. Raphael was famous for his use of vivid colors. The mastery of the painting is shown in numerous ways, so let’s start with the color. The painting depicts two stories from the Gospel according to Matthew: the Transfiguration and the meeting of the apostles with the obsessed youth who will be cured when Jesus returns from Mount Tabor.
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