The Vision of Ezekiel

The central figure of God is carried through a luminous sky by a cluster of winged beings including a lion, an ox, and an eagle. The scene is bathed in golden light, contrasting with the dark clouds and the tiny, distant landscape below where the prophet Ezekiel witnesses the event. God’s arms are outstretched and supported by two small cherubim.

This painting depicts the Merkabah (Chariot) vision, a central theme in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah concerning the throne of God and the celestial hierarchy. In the High Renaissance, this imagery was often interpreted as an allegory for the divine order of the universe, linking biblical prophecy to Neoplatonic concepts of the cosmos.