Digital viewer compares Renaissance marriage paintings by Perugino and Raphael
Haltadefinizione, a Modena-based company that published the world's first 8.6-gigapixel photo of an artwork in 2006, created a comparative viewer for two versions of the "Sposalizio della Vergine" by Perugino (1503) and Raphael (1504). The project involved gigapixel acquisition of both paintings: Raphael's version at the Pinacoteca di Brera in 2020 (restored in 2009) and Perugino's at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Caen in 2023, the latter to return to Italy for a major exhibition at the Gallerie Nazionali dell'Umbria. The viewer allows experts and the public to examine details such as Raphael's more naturalistic composition versus Perugino's idealized style, the visibility of the ring in Joseph's hand, and the architectural differences in the temple background—Raphael's central-plan temple invites free movement of the eye, while Perugino's is more confining.
Key facts
- Haltadefinizione created a comparative digital viewer for two versions of the Sposalizio della Vergine by Perugino (1503) and Raphael (1504).
- Haltadefinizione published the world's first 8.6-gigapixel photo of an artwork in 2006.
- Raphael's painting was digitized in 2020 at the Pinacoteca di Brera, restored in 2009.
- Perugino's painting was digitized in 2023 at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Caen.
- The digitization of Perugino's work aimed to bring it to Italy for a major exhibition at the Gallerie Nazionali dell'Umbria.
- The viewer highlights differences in composition, ring visibility, and architectural representation.
- Raphael's temple has a central plan inviting free eye movement; Perugino's is more confining.
- The project was a collaboration with the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria for Perugino's 500th anniversary.
Entities
Artists
- Perugino
- Raffaello
Institutions
- Haltadefinizione
- Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
- Pinacoteca di Brera
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen
- Gallerie Nazionali dell'Umbria
Locations
- Modena
- Italy
- Caen
- France