Transfiguration of Christ (fragment) Raphael (1483-1520)

This is a fragment of a larger painting depicting the Transfiguration of Christ. The section shown focuses on the reaction of Christs disciples and the crowd to a miraculous event.
In the foreground, a young woman is kneeling with her back to the viewer, draped in a pink and blue cloth. Her posture suggests awe or perhaps shock. Adjacent to her, a young boy is in a state of distress, being held by a man in a green tunic. The boys mouth is open in a cry, and his eyes are rolled back, indicating a powerful, possibly violent, spiritual or physical experience.
Behind them, a group of men are reacting with a mixture of astonishment, confusion, and alarm. One man in a yellow tunic points dramatically to the upper part of the scene (which is not visible in this fragment), as if directing attention to the source of the divine event. Other faces show intense emotion, with raised hands and wide eyes.
The subtext here is the human response to divine power. The disciples and the crowd are overwhelmed by an event beyond their comprehension. The painting captures the spectrum of human reactions: fear, awe, bewilderment, and a desperate attempt to understand or control the situation. The contrast between the serene kneeling woman and the agitated boy and men highlights the varied impact of the divine on individuals. The pointing finger suggests a narrative moment, likely describing the moment Christ revealed his divine glory to his most trusted disciples on Mount Tabor, with Moses and Elijah appearing before him. This fragment focuses on the reactions of those who were not part of that inner circle, emphasizing their human fragility in the face of the ineffable.