Room of Heliodorus

The Room of Heliodorus was painted shortly after the Segnatura, then from 1511, to be completed in 1514.

This work shows the further development of the language of Raphael who to emphasize the drama of the narrative uses strong lighting effects, which influenced Caravaggio himself. This is a turning point in the art of Raphael, who create compositions in which the convulsive drama of human events contrasts with the serenity inspired by religion, enhanced by lighting effects.

The episodes painted on the walls of the Stanza spring from the apocryphal Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the History of the Church, with the common denominator of divine protection in favor of the Church.

On the two walls with windows Raphael depicted the Liberation of St. Peter from prison, where the lighting effects are accentuated.

The Mass of Bolsena;

on the long walls we see the Expulsion of Heliodorus;

the Stop of Attila.

In the episode of the Stop of Attila is clear the contrast, emphasized by light effects,

between the part where are Attila and the Huns, dominated by a convulsive drama

and the part where Leo the Great advances peacefully with his entourage.

Interesting is the detail that Leo X appears twice,

the first as cardinal

and the second as Pope.

The explanation is that in 1513 Pope Julius II died and Leo X succeeded, obviously when Raphael painted the future Pope Leo X as Cardinal Julius II was still alive, but at his death Raphael turned the face of Julius II into that of Leo X, who so appears both as cardinal and as Pope.

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