Transfiguration Art Series: Bellini

  

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration.  One can find the traditional Mass propers at Usus Antiquior here.

The image above is Bellinis 15th century Transfiguration of Christ.  It is oil on wood panel, measures 42.5  inches by 59.8 inches, and is found in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy.  (This later version is not to be confused with an earlier version by Bellini that is housed in the Museo Correr, Venice, Italy,)

An interesting aspect of this artwork is that researchers have discovered that Bellini used a stibnite-based pigment.   Stibnite is a rare antimony mineral.  He used it to suggest the shimmering radiance of the gold mosaics found in ancient Byzantine churches.  While stibnite is a dark metallic gray, grinding and blending it into the highlights and shadows of white paint make the result luminous.

Transfiguration Art Series: Raphael

 

Here is Raphael's 16th century The Transfiguration.  It measures 160 inches by 110 inches and is found in the Pinacoteca Vaticana in the Vatican Museums. The medium is tempera grassa, which is primarily comprised of egg yolk bonded to oil.

In an unusual "split screen", the top portion depicts the Transfiguration showing Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James, and John, while the bottom half shows the other apostles attempting to heal an afflicted boy.

There is a lot of very interesting lore surrounding this painting.  Perhaps the most fascinating is that it was hijacked by Napoleon Bonaparte,  paraded through the streets of Paris, installed in the Louvre, and not returned to the Vatican until after Napolean's defeat at Waterloo.

 

Transfiguration Art Series: Tretyakov Gallery Icon

 

This is a 15th century Transfiguration icon now in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.  It was originally from the Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Pereslavl-Zalessky.  For years it was attributed to Theopanes the Greek but presently there is some controversy about that.

Eastern icons show the Transfiguration using "uncreated light" while Western art shows the Transfiguration using "created light." This represents a significant theological difference between the East and the West. 

 

Thomas Aquinas taught that this light was a temporary miracle. It was a physical sign to teach the apostles. One can delve into the Thomistic view at New Advent here. 

 

This theological difference changed how artists painted. Eastern icons use sharp shapes to show a mystical reality. Western paintings use natural light to show a historical story.  You can read more about the Eastern approach at the American Association of Iconographers.  You can compare it to the Western approach with the Goretti Fine Arts Guide.