PALLADIO

04 - RAPHAEL

The Expulsion of Heliodorus Vatican City

As an Architect As Raphael intends to span a dome over a square space while avoiding the compromise of resorting to a pendentive, the corner columns(1) are rotated to directly support the ring of the dome. This suggests that the frontal space is not a dome, as the foremost column(2) aligns with the grid instead of facing towards a designated center. In fact, it can be argued that the observer of the painting is outside the church, facing the front façade. The sky depicted in the background corroborates this idea that the arch is the boundary of the architecture. In addition, the octagonal pattern(3) in the forefront terminates at two on the central axis, which should presumably be an odd number if it were to highlight the centrality of such space. In addition, an interval space(4) can be perceived between each dome - resulting in a plan with a tartan grid - which is the consequence of the enlargement of the corner columns, creating a poché, or in other words a Solid-Void dialectic.

As a Painter Based on my conjecture above, it can be said that the perspective effect lures you into a deeper space towards the vanishing point (instead of the emphasis on the forefront). The perspective lines on the side aisles are kept minimal, as a matter of fact, the positioning of human figures seem to conceal such effects on the side aisles; a centripetal force towards the vanishing point along the central axis is strengthened. Instead of exposing the outside-world to view at the vanishing point, a black backdrop and the alter covers over the vanishing point terminating the vista. Although this may be an overestimate, I sense another peeking hole on the other side, creating a coupled-mirror effect, extending this space ad infinitum. The peeking hole also suggests this painting to be a scene of “heavenly space” that we are observing through a portal from earth. The School of Athens employs a similar method by placing human figures over the vanishing point, while terrestrial land is not visible in both paintings. The School of Athens further suggests The Expulsion of Heliodorus be an architectural space without an enclosing façade.