... and ages, and yet it is typical of none. In the Mother's arms is the Divine Child, with those strange, far-away-looking eyes that casual visitors so little understand-eyes that even in babyhood seem reading the future, and beginning to see the greatness of the world's sorrow. Kneeling on one side, below them, is St. Sixtus, the nearest perfect of all pictures of strong and venerable age that was ever painted; on the other side Santa Barbara, only less beautiful than the Virgin, is kneeling, with eyes turned from the glory too bright for mortals to look upon. At the bottom of the canvas are the two cherub faces which for centuries have been ideals of innocence and loveliness. The background is of fleecy clouds, and peering out of the clouds are angel faces. It has been said that Raphael never painted anything exactly as it was, but always idealized whatever ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now