A Closer Look at the Sistine Madonna

Speaking of prodigies (see Malcolm MacDougall III) and anniversaries (see 1812: A Nation Emerges), Raphael painted the Sistine Madonna 500 years ago in either 2012, 2013, or 2014 -- depending on whom one asks. About.com Art History chooses 2012 only because (1) this date is either on time or early, and (2) it's been far too long since I've self-indulgently rolled around in a luxurious heap of Raphaellery (<-- not a real word, but still). Everyone knows at least part of this painting on sight, but do they know how this Roman work ended up in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden? Or why it is "Sistine?" Or even the identities of the most recognizable figures in the composition? Come have a closer look at the Sistine Madonna with me, and perhaps you, too, will end up thinking Raphael is even more appealing than the "Have a cup of Johan" guy on the teevee machine.