Raphael's Sixtine Madonna turns 500

Five hundred years ago Raphael, the great master painter of the Renaissance, was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the Sistine Madonna. Today, it is one of the most famous works of art in the world. It belongs to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden (Germany); even those who are unaware of this fact are at least familiar with the two angels that perch cutely at the lower edge of the painting and have been copied countless times.

To mark the 500th birthday of this altarpiece, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden will be holding a major anniversary exhibition. The five hundred years of the Sistine Madonna have been characterized by exciting stories involving secret negotiations and illustrious display, periods of obscurity and international acclaim, artistic inventiveness, and abysmal kitsch.

Divided in four sections, the exhibition will shed light on the art and cultural historic context as well as on the reception history of this masterpiece

See more works by Raphael in our section of Great Masters

Date: from May 26 to August 26.
Place: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Residenzchloss Taschenberg 2. 01067. Dresden. Germany.
Opening hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 6pm. Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 9pm.

Enjoy more works of the exhibition in the following slideshow: