“All emotional appeals will inevitably fall flat, unless they are given the fire that voice, facial expression, and the whole carriage of the body can give them.”
⁓ Quintilian, The Orator's Education
The Raising of Lazarus is widely considered Sebastiano’s magnum opus. It was painted for Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici in Rome with the help of Michelangelo who provided designs for some of the figures, and was in competition with Raphael’s Transfiguration, commissioned earlier in 1517.
The painting depicts the moment Christ raises his friend Lazarus from the dead. Without touching him, the power of his words (‘Lazarus, come out!’) is indicated by the force of his gestures, one arm pointing in command, the other raised in authority. His mouth is open, still pronouncing his command, while his head and body rest in a serpentine contrapposto,reminiscent of classical statuary, like that of the Tiberius sculpture. Around him stand and kneel onlookers, caught in rapt amazement; one woman holds her hand to her heart like the Colonna portrait, St Peter, kneeling on the left, is moved to prayer, while crowds of disgruntled Pharisees in the distance can be seen riling at the miracle they are witnessing.
Sebastiano's depiction of Christ displays all the outward requirements of the consummate orator, save the words themselves. Indeed, the powerful impression of his delivery is enough to evoke them for us. His gestures, expression and gait communicate the authority of his words, which are even able to rouse the dead to life.
The impact of this kind of painting, much like Raphael's depiction of St Paul Preaching in Athens, would have far reaching influence on Western art. As the importance of the spoken word would last down the generations into our modern age, so too would the silent image of the orator. Be it in religious or classical painting, or even in portraiture, Sebastiano's skillful depictions of 'mute oratory' would be felt well into the Baroque, in the work of artists such as Caravaggio, Poussin and others.
