La Perla (painting)
La Perla (literally The Pearl) is a 1518-1520 oil on canvas painting by Raphael. At this stage clearly influenced by his encounter with Leonardo (1513-1516) the pyramidal arrangement of the characters, the light contrasts and the recreation of a landscape that is no longer idealized but realistic are proof of it.[1]
The fnal composition differs from the preparatory drawing, even if it follows the countours of the drawing is simple to detect several details that have been corrected. X-Rays shows that there was a first version in the underlying layer that follows very much the original drawing (obvserved means of the reflectography).Therefore it is logical to point out that there were two phases in the execution of the canvas; a first one that followed the drawing and a later one that introduced substantial changes to the appearance of the work in order to produce a great tension instead of the initial serene calm of the characters. To achieve this, the children's heads were filled with curls, while the Virgins head was sharpened, the folds are complicated and sinuous and the contrast between light and shadow intensified.[1]
It may be identifiable with the painting mentioned in
Part of another version has recently been found in the galleria Estense in Modena, known as the Perla di Modena.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Sagrada Familia, llamada la Perla - Colección - Museo Nacional del Prado". www.museodelprado.es. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ Pierluigi De Vecchi, Raffaello, Rizzoli, Milan, 1975 (Italian)
Bibliography
- (in Italian) Pierluigi De Vecchi, Raffaello, Rizzoli, Milano 1975.
External links
- "The Holy Family, or The Pearl". Museo Nacional del Prado: On-line gallery. Archived from the original on Dec 22, 2014.
Media related to La Perla (Raphael) at Wikimedia Commons
