Sistine Madonna, Raphael, 1514

The Sistine Madonna, also known as the Madonna di San Sisto, is an oil painting created by the renowned Italian artist Raphael. Commissioned in 1512 by Pope Julius II for the church of San Sisto in Piacenza, it is believed to have been completed around 1513–1514. This masterpiece stands as one of Raphael's final depictions of the Madonna. Renowned art historian Giorgio Vasari hailed it as "a truly rare and extraordinary work."

Since 1754, the painting has resided in Dresden, where it has exerted a profound influence on both German and Russian artistic traditions. Following the tumult of World War II, the Sistine Madonna found a temporary home in Moscow for a decade before being returned to Germany.

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