Dear Creators,

This is Raphael’s The Marriage of the Virgin. There is a lot going on in this painting.

Raphael didn’t just want to paint a pretty picture. He wanted to explore the light and shadows in the folds of draping fabric. He wanted to take the viewer’s eye all the way back through the temple door into the sky beyond.

Raphael didn’t just paint a pretty picture. He was interested in testing the very nature of art. How much can a human convey on a two-dimensional canvas?

Well, here we are talking about his painting 500 years later.

It’s tempting to take the easy way and cross the finish line as quickly as possible. But understanding takes time.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck