Raffaello sanzio, visione di ezechiele, 1516-18 ca. 02

God the Father appears in a burst of golden light, his arms raised as he is carried through the clouds by the eagle, lion, ox, and winged man. Below this divine spectacle, the tiny figure of the prophet Ezekiel stands in a darkened landscape, illuminated by a single ray of light from above. The arrangement of the figures and the dramatic scale emphasize the overwhelming nature of the celestial revelation.

This painting depicts the 'Ma'aseh Merkabah' (Work of the Chariot), a central theme in mysticism concerning the throne-vision of God. In the Renaissance, the four creatures were frequently interpreted through a Neoplatonic lens, correlating them with the four elements and the fixed signs of the zodiac to represent the divine order of the cosmos.