Transfiguration

By Raphael
The “transfiguration” was painted in
1520 by Raphael It is located in
Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City. It is
the last painting done by Raphael.
Raphael Sanzio da Urbino lived from 1483 to
1520. He was one of the most influential
painters of his era. He died in 1520, before
finishing the “Transfiguration.” His student,
Giulio Romano, finished the painting.
 After Raphael’s death in 1520, his reputation grew
throughout the years. His art encompassed the beauty
of the Renaissance period, and has been mirrored by
future generations, Raphael’s art is known for its
harmonious balance of color, clarity, composition, and
beauty.

Raphael (Urbino 1483 - Rome 1520 )

The “transfiguration” portrays two distinct biblical
occurrences. The top of the painting shows the
transfiguration of Jesus Christ. The bottom of the painting
shows a boy who is possessed by a demon.
The “transfiguration” shows that Jesus Christ provides a
connection between Heaven and Earth because Jesus
was speaking with Moses and Elijah (who had been
dead for hundreds of years).
• The “Transfiguration” also shows that we must put our faith and trust
in Jesus Christ because the demon-possessed boy was healed by Jesus
Christ because of his father’s faith in Jesus Christ
“The Light” a poem
Jesus was transformed before Peter, James, and John, his brother.
Jesus’s face and clothes shined like an amazing bright light, like none
other.
Then, Moses and Elijah, who had been dead for years, came near. Jesus
told Peter, James, and John not to fear
A Demon-possessed boy to the apostles was presented.
The apostles failed to extract the demon, which the boy’s father resented.
Jesus came, rebuked the demon, and healed the father’s son.
Through the father’s faith in Jesus Christ,
The victory was won
 I chose to do my Ekphrasis Project on “the Transfiguration” by Raphael. Raphael Sanzio da
Urbino (1483-1520) is thought to be one of the most influential painters of his era. “The
transfiguration” is one of his best pieces. He pained it in 1520. It was his last painting because he
died in 1520 before finishing the painting. His student, Giulio Romano, finished the painting for him.
I selected this painting because it depicts two unrelated biblical events- the top of the
painting shows the transfiguration of Christ, while the bottom of the painting shows a young man
who is possessed by a demon. This double scenario amazes me. So, there are two themes for this
artwork. The first theme seems to be that Jesus is the connection between humans on earth and
our father God and heaven. The second theme seems to be the fact that people should put their
faith and trust in Jesus.
I chose to write a poem because I wanted to tell the two stories behind this painting so one
could understand the two stories before even seeing the painting. Composing a poem forced me to
think about language and devise the best possible method for telling the two stories. Poetry is great
for telling stories or inspiring people. It has the power to affect our hearts and minds. It is a great
sounding board for our emotions, and it helps us communicate our thoughts in a pleasant way.
Writing poetry encourages us to pay greater attention to detail. With poetry, we can use words to
create meaning and mental pictures