2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
Raphael is one of the three masters of the High Renaissance, along with Leonardo and Michelangelo. The famous Italian artist was born in 1483. Having lived for 37 years, he left behind at least 200 paintings.
Raphael's life has been difficult since childhood: he lost his parents at 11 years old. However, even in such a short time, his father gave him the first drawing lessons, thereby determining his future life path. By coincidence, Rafael died on the day of his birth, the cause of death remains a mystery. He received the greatest popularity for a number of Madonnas written by him. Raphael for the first time endowed the Madonnas not with alienation, but, on the contrary, with a gentle, soulful expression.
The magic of his work is expressed in the complex geometric drawing of space, focusing attention and generating situations. He possessesthe ability to arouse interest and immerse yourself entirely in the contemplation of the plot of the picture, which amazes with its sophistication, grace and bewitching power.
Painting characteristics
Raphael's painting "The Knight's Dream", painted in 1504-1505, is a prime example of the High Renaissance. It belongs to the miniature, as it has small dimensions: its height is 17 cm. The painting is also called "Spitsion's Dream", or "Allegory". The work is one of the parts of the diptych and is paired with the painting "Three Graces", its height is also 17 cm, it is in the Château de Chantilly Museum. Diptych of Raphael presented to Scipio di Tommaso Borghese. This painting takes its place of honor in the London Gallery.
There are a number of theories as to what the panel should represent. Some art historians believe that the sleeping knight represents the Roman general Scipio the Africanus (236-184 BC).
Interpretation of the canvas
The painting by Rafael Santi "Dream of the Knight" shows the viewer a young man in armor, who dozed off near a laurel tree next to two beautiful ladies. In her hands, the first holds a book and a sword, and the second holds a flower. This miniature refers to allegorical painting, when the artist illustrates an abstract idea with the help of images.
The source of the plot of the canvas, according to many art historians, is an allegory about choice, taken from an excerpt from the poem "Punic", which tells about the Second Punic War and was written by a Latin poetSilius Italicus. They offer the following description of the "Dream of the Knight" by Raphael Santi: the young knight Scipio, resting in the shadow of the bay, had a dream about two women, Venus and Minerva, between whom he had to choose.
The problem of choice
In Rafael Santi's "Dream of the Knight", the appearance and style of women's clothing helps to most clearly reveal the ideals that they represent.
Minerva, who stands on the left, was the Roman goddess of wisdom and patroness of the arts, commerce, and defense. Her hair is covered and her dress is very modest. She is the epitome of nobility and majesty. There is a clear trail behind her. This is a steep and rocky path leading to the castle, which symbolizes submissive work, and every knight needs to go through it.
Venus, standing on the right in looser clothes, with lush curly locks, is the Roman goddess of love. Behind her is a softer path leading to distant lands or to the sea, where Venus herself was born.
Items belonging to girls represent their ideals. The book and the sword are symbols of the perfection of erudition, law and protection. The flower is a symbol of love, love comforts, pleasure. Thus, the young man must choose between Virtue (the path of prudence and battle) and Delight (the path of pleasure, peace, love). However, Raphael Santi in the painting "The Knight's Dream" goes beyond the plot of the poem and does not make the two girls rivals. The young man can choose the third path, which combines the two poles of fate.
Laurel tree
Rafael Santi's painting "The Knight's Dream" divides an elegant evergreen laurel tree into two equal parts. It was used to make the laurel wreath in ancient Greece, a symbol of high status. Moreover, it personifies infinity and imperishability. As a prize at the Pythian Games, a laurel wreath is awarded, because these games were held in honor of Apollo, and the laurel was one of his symbols. A crown of its leaves and a helmet adorned with laurel were a symbol of triumph and victory.
In "The Knight's Dream", Raphael used an extensive palette of colors to depict this colorful scene. Experts have identified various pigments such as lead yellow, ultramarine and ochre.
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