The Separation of Land and Water 1519

"The Separation of Land and Water" is a fresco by the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael. It is a dramatic depiction of God separating the Earth from the waters, a moment from the Book of Genesis. The painting is located in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The composition features God, a powerful figure with a long beard, floating in a swirl of drapery, his hand reaching out toward the Earth. The separation is symbolized by the meeting point of the land and the water, where a small piece of land emerges from the blue waters below. Raphael's mastery of perspective and dramatic composition make the scene both powerful and beautiful, conveying the grandeur of the biblical event.