The title of this picture is borrowed from a painting of Raffael in which, at the lower left corner, Pope Sixtus II can be seen gazing up at the Madonna. If the Madonna were to look down upon him, her elevated position would give her a view directly onto the head of her worshipper. The question of positions of power which was also a function of the towers in San Gimignano was the inspiration for Hoenerloh’s unusual choice of perspective in this picture.