The Transfiguration of Christ (central panel) 1520

Gerard David painted 'The Transfiguration of Christ' in the late 15th or early 16th century. The composition immediately directs the eye upwards, from the prostrate figures at the base to the radiant apex where God the Father appears. Notice the striking contrast between the earthly and divine realms. Below, muted earth tones and sharply defined figures ground us in the tangible. Above, soft clouds obscure Moses and Elijah. Christ stands central, in an ethereal light. David uses light and form to express a hierarchy of being, a visual language which reinforces the spiritual message. The clear, almost geometric forms of the lower figures give way to the more fluid, atmospheric rendering of the divine, suggesting the ineffable nature of the sacred. The careful attention to texture and detail, typical of the Northern Renaissance, enhances the painting's sense of realism, while the overall composition lifts it into the realm of the symbolic and sublime. It is through this delicate balance that David achieves a powerful expression of faith.