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Original fileChrist is shown levitating in a radiant cloud of divine light, flanked by the prophets Moses and Elijah. Below them, three apostles are sprawled on the ground, shielding their eyes from the intense brilliance of the revelation. This scene focuses on the moment of divine metamorphosis and the blinding nature of celestial truth.
In the Renaissance Neoplatonic tradition, the Transfiguration represents the 'theophanic' light that transforms human nature, echoing Marsilio Ficino's theories on the soul's ascent to the divine. It serves as a visual manifestation of the 'Lumen' (Divine Light) that mediates between the material and spiritual worlds.
Marsilio Ficino
Raphael's depiction of divine light as a transformative force aligns with Ficino's Neoplatonic metaphysics regarding the soul's illumination.
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite
The blinding brilliance of the scene illustrates the 'dazzling darkness' and the hierarchy of celestial light described in Mystical Theology.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 1, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.