Raphael's Borghese Version of the Lower Cross - 1507 - Borghese Gallery, Rome, Italy
The Lower Cross of borghese is a masterpiece of Raphael's [1483-1520] youth, and one of his most complex works: For whom was it painted? What does it mean? On what basis? Let's take a look now.
At the beginning of the 16th century, in the Umbria region of central Italy, there was a noblewoman named Atalanta Baglioni. A bloody event that destroyed her family completely changed the history of Perugia and made the young Raphael famous.
Her son, Federico Baglioni (1477-1500), was also known as "Grifonetto" in honor of her father Grifone, who died young.
At the time, Grifneto's two uncles—Guido Baglioni and Rudolfo Baglioni—were powerful figures in Perugia who, though not legally sanctioned, had effectively taken control of the city's politics and civil affairs.
According to the Chronicles of the City of Perugia 1492-1503 [Cronaca della città di Perugia 1492-1503], in July 1500 another uncle of Grifnerto, Carlo Baglioni, with the support of Giulio Cesare Varano, Duke of Camerino, plotted a conspiracy to oust them. The young Grifneto also took part in the conspiracy.
However, one of Guido's sons, Giampaolo, escaped from the massacre, left the city of Perugia, and returned the next day with many retinues intending revenge. Grifneto, who was only in his early 20s, died.
Giorgio Vasari [1511-1574] wrote in His Life of Raphael that years after the bloody event, Atalanta commissioned Raphael to paint a painting depicting a scene of "lifting up Christ after death to be buried." Also known as The Burial of Christ, also known as The Cross Under the Borghese Edition, the Cross Under the Baronyan Edition, or the Altarpiece of the Baronyony Edition, is now in the Borghese Gallery in Rome.
There is another important piece of evidence. While in Florence, Raphael wrote to his student in Perugia, Domenico Alfani [1479-1553], asking him to urge Atalanta to pay for a painting.
Therefore, it is almost certain that this painting was commissioned by Atalanta.
However, whether the commission is related to Grifnetto's death cannot be concluded.
In 1860, the Swiss art historian Jacob Burckhardt [1818-1897] spoke of the painting in The Culture of the Italian Renaissance [Die Kultur der Renaissance in Italien]. It was only then that Atalanta commissioned Raphael to paint in memory of his slain son, and it began to spread.
However, this is only a hypothesis.
The Austrian art historian Konrad Oberhuber [1935-2007] endorsed this hypothesis. In 1986, in his book on Raphael, he proposed that in Burial of Christ, Madalina clutched Christ's hand and "in the background, but not too far away, was still enveloped by such delicate human emotions", which was an allusion to the pain of Atalanta's loss of her son.
However, most scholars believe that the fainting Virgin Mary in the painting is an allusion to Atalanta.
In 2006, however, Anna Coliva,director of the Borghese Gallery [1953- ] curated a special exhibition of Raffaello da Firenze a Roma. In the catalogue, she writes, Burckhardt's interpretation is "more like the 19th-century romanticism and the sadness of the writers, pinching the facts together, mostly because of seeing Grifnetto buried in the chapel where [the altarpiece is placed]." Moreover, in the chapel where Christ is the main patron saint, the theme of Christ's crucifixion cannot be more natural. Therefore, it is not enough to prove that the title of the painting is related to the death of Grifnetto.
Although there is no conclusive evidence, it must be admitted that five years after Grifnetto's tragic death, Atalanta commissioned the theme of "The Burial of Christ", which can indeed show her pain and can indeed be used as a work of a mother commemorating her son, and Raphael's approach does have this tendency. In fact, Vasari also praised Raphael's ability to express emotions, successfully imagining and showing "the pain felt by the closest and dearest people when they buried their loved ones."
In the foreground, there is the corpse of Jesus, surrounded by five solemn figures. Madalina ran over and grabbed the hand of Jesus, who had long since lost his life. The man to her right was clearly looking at the audience, either Nicodemus, or St. Joseph Alimatia, or St. Peter[note: St Peter usually wears gold and green clothes]. Two men carried the corpse, and the one on the right was a handsome teenager.
On the right side of the painting, there are three women holding the Virgin Mary, who has fainted from pain.
Above these women is the cross of Calvary, where the funeral procession began.
In the foreground, the one on the left carrying the body, one foot had already walked up the steps where the grave was located.
Behind you you can also see the entrance, which is the end point.
In the background, there is a hilly landscape. In the upper right corner there is a castle, Alessandra Oddi Baglioni [descendants of the Baroni family] believes that this is the Castle of Antoniola, the domain of the Baroni family. This claim is supported by Colleva, director of the Borghese Museum.
So, from a narrative point of view, the composition is divided into two parts: transporting the body and Mary fainting. The two parts were separated by one of the two people carrying the body, the teenager. The 19th century was hailed as one of the perfect examples of classical revival.
Here to talk about another rumor, there is no basis in fact at all, but it is deeply rooted and quite tempting. According to this rumor, this figure who occupies an important position has no precedent in previous paintings of the same subject, and he is Grifnetto, a perfect portrait of raphael for him.
Oberhuber says that a more nuanced and comprehensive interpretation of the character would actually accept the rumor: "One would instinctively want to explore deeper meanings; it seems that in this scene of death Raphael felt the need to use a symbol to represent the resurrection, to represent future life: the presence of Grifner here means that the death of Christ is the redemption of the human soul." ”
In any case, if it can be proved that this mysterious figure is indeed Grifnetto, then the previously mentioned hypothesis that Atalanta commissioned the painting in honor of his dead son is self-evident.
When the painting was completed, it was placed in the Baroni Chapel of St. Francis Church in the Prairie of Perugia.
Originally belonging to a group of paintings, it was the central one.
The top painting is "Angel of Eternal Blessing", with a band depicting "The Angel of Bhutto and the Griffin", and the monochrome painting of "Virtue" on the altarpiece.
A century later, the extremely powerful and collecting Cardinal Hipione Borghese [Scipione Borghese, 1577-1633] discovered The Burial of Christ. With the support of his uncle, Pope Paul V, in March 1608 he ordered that the painting be taken from the church at night and transported to his estate in Rome. A few days later, the inhabitants of Perugia protested, and a few days later, the Pope had to issue an edict announcing that the painting would be given as a gift to Chipione. To quell popular discontent, the Borghese family commissioned two copies, one by Giovanni Lanfranco [1582-1647] and the other by Giuseppe Cesari, cavalier d'Arpino (1568-1640).
We know nothing about the first painting, and it is even possible that Lanfranco did not complete the painting at all, and then handed it to the Knight of Alpino. This second painting, originally placed in St. Francis of the Prairie, was later moved to the Church of St. Bernardo and then back to St. Francis of the Prairie. Finally, in the second half of the 19th century, the National Gallery of Umbria was moved.
The Knight of Alpino, "The Burial of Christ" - 1608 - National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia, Italy
The altarpiece of the Barioni Chapel is also in the museum today, presumably by Domenico Alfani [1479-1553] based on Raphael's line manuscript. However, it is not certain whether this is the original top painting or a replica.
Domenico Alphani, Eternal Blessings and Angels - 1507 - National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia, Italy
The author's presumption of the band section is equally doubtful.
The gray-toned monochrome altarpiece is considered to be the work of Raphael. It was brought back to France by Napoleon's army in 1797 and remained until 1816, when it was returned to the Papal State and housed in the Vatican Museums.
Raphael's Charity - 1507 - Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Raphael's Faith - 1507 - Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Raphael's Hope - 1507 - Vatican Museums, Vatican City
According to Vasari, Raphael traveled from Florence to Perugia to paint the Frescoes of the Holy Trinity and the Saints for the Church of San Severus and the altarpiece for the Ancidei family.
Raphael + Perugino The Trinity and the Saints - 1505-1508/1521 - San Severus Church, Perugia, Italy
Raphael's Anseid Edition of the Virgin - 1505 - National Gallery, London, England
During this time, Atalanta commissioned him to draw the lower cross. Thus, the painting began around 1505. As for the end time, most art historians believe that it is around 1507, and believe that the date under Raphael's name next to the dandelion in the painting is credible.
RAPHAEL URBINAS MDVII
There is no doubt that raphael went to great lengths in the study of composition and changed his mind several times. There are still a number of preparatory manuscripts in museums around the world, at least 16 of which are still in existence.
These line drawings are sometimes panoramic and sometimes individual characters. After comparison, art historians have reconstructed Raphael's creative process. Initially, he wanted to depict "mourning Christ," but in the end it became a clearer and more dynamic narrative of "Burying Christ."
The Louvre in Paris and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, each with a line drawing, both early ideas, can be seen with the body of Jesus sunk on the lap of Mary and Madalina, surrounded by several other figures.
Raphael's Mourning christ - 1505-1506 - Louvre, Paris, France
Raphael Mourning Christ (Study of Burying Christ) - 1506-1507 - Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England
Many scholars have pointed out that the general structure of the first few ideas, especially the Louvre, probably came from Raphael's master Perugino [1446-1523] in 1495 for the church of the Convent of Santa Clare in Perugia.
Perugino In Mourning Christ - 1495 - Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy
There is another line drawing in the Ashmolean Museum, from which it can be seen that Raphael tried to introduce dynamic elements into the painting. Two people, apparently male, are in the center of the picture, preparing to put the body into the grave, and the previous female characters do not appear (if you do not count the head and hand study above).
Raphael's Manuscript of the Lower Cross - 1506-1507 - Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England
From this one onwards, the composition changed, and almost all the women were moved to the side, depicting the scene of "The Virgin Fainting". However, it must be pointed out that in this painting today, There are three women around Mary, and the one who supports Mary from behind was added when the painting was about to be completed. In 1995, an X-ray analysis of the painting was performed. It can be seen that this figure was originally located in the middle of the composition, which is where the trees are now located. It was only when the painting was about to be completed that it was moved to its current position.
The British Museum's line draft was significantly later in time. Two men can be seen carrying corpses; the Virgin is already present on the right side of the picture, with several other women, while Madalina is also among several men, kissing the hand of Christ.
Raphael's Manuscript on the Burial of Christ - 1507 - British Museum, London, England
The Uffizi line drawing and the print collection have a square line drawing, in which the anguished Madalina has raised his head and looked at Christ, in the same layout as the main figure in the central part of the painting (although a woman can still be seen behind Madalina).
Raphael's Study Draft of the Central Group for the Burial of Christ - 1507 - Uffizi Line Manuscript and Printing House, Florence, Italy
As a result, the subject matter of the painting changed from the original "mourning of Christ" to "the burial of Christ", the sense of narrative was enhanced, the beginning and end of the story relied on hints (the cross above the right and the steps below the left), and the main plot was the characters who expressed emotions, walked and interacted. Prior to this, altarpieces of that era were static presentations, providing a starting point for believers to meditate.
Most of the paintings on the theme of the passion of Christ are altarpieces [Note: several small horizontal paintings below the main altar painting]. Here, Raphael used it as the main painting, and the altarpiece depicted virtue.
So, in this painting, Raphael violates both traditions at the same time.
In addition, the painting was also a turning point in Raphael's youth, and was the most complex composition before the creation of the frescoes in the Vatican Hall.
In constructing this new scene, Raphael referenced many previous imagery, including a masterpiece by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564).
At the time, both Raphael and Michelangelo were working for a wealthy florentine family, the Doni.
Raphael painted two paintings for the family:
Portrait of Agnolo Doni,
Raphael's Portrait of Agnolo Doni - 1505-1506 - Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy
Portrait of his wife, Maddalena Strozzi (it is uncertain whether it was painted during their wedding).
Portrait of Maddalena Strozzi by Raphael - 1506 - Palazzo Pitti, Florence, Italy
Michelangelo painted The Doni Circle.
Michelangelo Bonarotti's Dorney Circle Paintings - 1505-1506 - Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy
Of course, Raphael was close to the Dorney family, who owned the painting, so he must have had a chance to see it. In this painting, the Virgin twists her upper body, ready to take the child from St. Joseph's hand. In Raphael's painting, in front of the fainting Virgin, there is a woman who turns around to pick up the Virgin, which is quite similar to the posture of the figure in Michelangelo's painting.
Raphael's paintings, the main central figure in the center of the composition, may also have been influenced by Michelangelo.
It is speculated that Raphael, who had visited Rome before 1508 [note: in 1508, the Pope had summoned him to Rome to paint frescoes of the Vatican Halls], had probably seen Michelangelo's famous Vatican version of the Holy Death for Cardinal Jean de Bilhères.
Michelangelo Bonaroroti's Vatican Version of the Holy Death - 1497-1499 - Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican
He probably borrowed the body of Christ in the sculpture as inspiration, borrowing the position of the body, the legs parted, and the drooping arms — the famous "arms of the dead."
In addition, even if Raphael had never seen the original sculpture, it is possible that he had seen copied drawings, as well as copied drawings of other Roman works of art.
In the 19th century, Herman Grimm [1828-1901] first proposed another set of interesting comparisons in The Life of Raphael [Das Leben Raphaels]: the funeral procession on the Lower Cross of the Baronyony is very similar to the "Sending Off the Corpse of Meleaglos" often sculpted on many ancient roman sarcophagi.
Fragments of marble sarcophagus (for the corpse of Mele Agros) - Mid-2nd century AD - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
It may have been from these cases that Raphael learned how to depict the crowd surrounding the corpse, its posture, and the "arm of the dead."
Since then, more and more research has attempted to find the prototype of Raphael's burial of Christ from the sarcophagus.
At Colliwa's 2006 curated exhibition of Raphaelt, Salvatore Settis [1941-] noted that the image of Madalina clutching the arm of Jesus may also have come from an ancient Roman sarcophagus, the teacher of Melaleus.
Another precedent is the last, and another important precedent is an engraving by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), made around the 1670s. The Venetian Pamphlet [Libretto veneziano] is a collection of study drafts and drafts of someone in Raphael's circle, two pages of which copied the engraving, so that raphael could prove that he had seen it.
Andrea Mantegna's Lower Cross - 1470s - Reposi Painting Gallery, Chiari, Italy
In this engraving of Mantegna, the body of Christ is placed on a sheet for easy lifting. The painting is also divided into two parts, the burial on the left and the fainting of Mary on the right, which is also placed under the cross of Mount Golgotha.
Interestingly, St. John is isolated, on the far right of the picture, holding hands together to pray. Among the line drawings that Raphael painted for the Altarpiece of Barony, the one hidden in the Louvre is also in the same position and posture of St. John.
When the draft was finalized, the figure was moved to the left, and although the position was not important, it still folded its hands, adding a lot of tragedy and solemnity to the scene, as Vasari said: "Hands together, bowed head, that kind of mood, can make the hardest heart feel pity."
In 1986, Charles M. Rosenberg wrote an essay, Raphael and the Florentine Istoria. It is mentioned that raphael had to take into account the expectations of different publics when drawing this work.
First of all, the client, Atalanta Barrioni, must be satisfied. The subject of the painting must have been discussed between the two, although the contract documents have not survived. The theme of the painting changed from "mourning Christ" to "burying Christ", and it is uncertain whether Atalanta was involved in the decision-making. However, she is likely aware of this shift. Both of these themes are appropriate for family chapel altarpieces. If Atalanta had indeed asked for it, it would have been used to commemorate his son.
In addition, the painting had to be approved by the monks of St. Francis. However, given the power of the Baroni family, the monks would most likely accommodate.
But, Rosenberg points out, the most important point is that Raphael wanted the painting to conquer the artists and clients of Florence.
As mentioned earlier, the painting was conceived and produced between about 1505 and 1507, and no later than the beginning of 1508. During this time, Raphael often lived in Florence and worked for several extremely wealthy propertied families, such as Taddei, Doni, Canigiani, dei, and painted mainly portraits and the Virgin.
In 1504, Giovanna Feltrìa della Rovere,the last member of the Montefertro family of Raphael's birthplace, married a member of the de la Rovere family, wrote a letter of introduction recommending Raphael to Pier Soderini, the Florentine flag officer. However, we do not have the original letter of introduction, only a 16th-century manuscript, so many scholars have doubts about it. Raphael, however, must have been to Florence before he made the painting, living in the city and sometimes traveling elsewhere as needed.
Vasari, when describing Raphael's paintings, also mentioned that Raphael was in Florence after 1504. Raphael, after completing The Wedding of the Virgin, said, had traveled to Siena at the invitation of Pinturicchio [1454-1513] to help complete the frescoes in the Piccolomini Library.
Raphael's The Wedding of the Virgin Mary - 1504 - Brera Painting Museum, Milan, Italy
However, just after arriving in Siena, Raphael heard that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were designing frescoes for the eastern wall of the Grand Council Hall of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, so he left Siena and went to Florence to see for himself. After arriving in Florence, "because he loved the city so much, it seemed to him so sacred, that he decided to live there for a while". Vasari also said that in Florence, Raphael reverently studied masterpieces of art, old and new. In 1505, he briefly resided in Perugia, received an order for the Burial of Christ, and returned to Florence.
Therefore, Raphael created the "Barioni Altarpiece" in the rich and colorful cultural background of Florence, and after many changes, chose a clearer and more dynamic composition with a clearer narrative, showing the action and psychological state in a dramatic way, while showing his narrative ability to the fiercely competitive art circle in Florence and many potential customers.
The frescoes designed by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo that drew Raphael to Florence were the unfinished Battle of Anghiari and the Battle of Cascia.
Raphael once went to see the basemap, and we still have a copy of him. One of them, in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, is very interesting. A short copy of the Battle of Anguiari is copied, next to two study manuscripts of the head, prepared for the frescoes of Peruggia San Severus, and the head of the old man is clearly in the style of the typical figures in leonardo da Vinci's manuscripts.
Raphael's Trinity Study Draft of St. Severus and a Sketch of Leonardo da Vinci's Works - 1505-1507 - Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England
Many scholars who have discussed the Barioni Edition of the Altarpiece have repeatedly emphasized that Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci's design projects in the Palazzo Vecchio had an important influence on the young Raphael, and that this was precisely the years during which he painted the Barony Edition altarpiece.
In 1506, both masters abandoned the creation of this fresco. This may have made Raphael feel like he might be commissioned to complete the fresco, or even to start from scratch. Therefore, it can be assumed that the reason why he drastically modified the Baroni edition of the altarpiece to make the composition more timely may be, as Colliva put it, to better "challenge the two peak artists".
On 27 April 1508, Raphael wrote a letter to his uncle Simone Ciarla in Florence, asking him to urge Francesco Maria della Rovere, Grand Duke of Urbino, to write a letter of recommendation for himself, to Pier Soderini, in order to obtain more important commissions.
The completion of the Baroni Edition of the Altarpiece and the request for a letter of recommendation from his uncle are not far apart. It is quite possible that Raphael knew that he had created a fairly novel work, and at the same time took a decisive step towards the pinnacle of the painting art of that era.
This article is excerpted from the Italian newspaper Finestre dell'arte, originally written by Claudia Farini. Pantesire's Art Digest has been authorized to translate it into Chinese
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