The Transfiguration by Raphael Sanzio, Matthew 17:1-13, Bible.Gallery
The Transfiguration is a Oil tempera on wood painting by Raphael Sanzio (1483–1520), created in 1516. Measuring 279 × 410 cm, it depicts the biblical scene from Matthew 17:1-13.
Artwork Description
The Transfiguration is the last painting by the Italian High Renaissance master Raphael. Commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici, who later became Pope Clement VII, the work was conceived as an altarpiece for Narbonne Cathedral in France. Raphael worked on it in the years preceding his death in 1520, and the painting exemplifies his development as an artist and the culmination of his career.
The composition is divided into two distinct but interconnected halves. The upper portion depicts the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, where Jesus is shown elevated and radiant, flanked by the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elijah, who float on either side of him. Below them, the three apostles Peter, James, and John shield their eyes from the dazzling divine light.
The lower portion of the painting depicts the next episode from the Gospels: the apostles' failed attempt to heal a possessed boy. A crowd of agitated figures surrounds the afflicted youth, whose contorted body and wild expression contrast dramatically with the serene transfiguration above. The apostles gesture helplessly, unable to cure the boy without Christ's presence. This unusual combination of two biblical episodes creates a powerful theological statement linking Christ's divine nature with his healing power on earth.
From the late 16th century until the early 20th century, The Transfiguration was regarded by various commentators as the most famous oil painting in the world. After Raphael's death on 6 April 1520, the painting lay at the head of his catafalque. It was later installed in San Pietro in Montorio in Rome, before being seized by Napoleon's forces in 1797 and taken to the Louvre. After Napoleon's fall in 1815, it was returned to Rome and now resides in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in Vatican City.