Why it matters
Raphael's Virgin walks towards us on clouds, flanked by Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara, while two winged putti lean on their elbows beneath her. Commissioned by Pope Julius II for a church in Piacenza, it is one of Raphael's last Madonnas, and Vasari called it 'a truly rare and extraordinary work'.
Did you know?
- The two little putti at the bottom have become famous in their own right.
- It was moved to Dresden in 1754.
- After the Second World War it was taken to Moscow for a decade before returning to Dresden.
- It measures 265 × 196 cm.
Based on the Wikipedia article Sistine Madonna (CC BY-SA 4.0).
