Raphael Sanzio da Urbino was a master of the High Renaissance, one of the very few that rivaled Michelangelo. He created several brilliant oil paintings, frescoes, and architectural designs before mysteriously dying in his late thirties. Read on to learn what made this charming painter and architect legendary.
Raphael: Overview and Facts
- Raphael was born Raffaello Sanzio in April 1483 in Urbino, Italy.
- His father was his first art instructor.
- His father died when he was young, and he took over his father's workshop.
- He was frequently given commissions from Pope Julius II and Pope Leo X.
- He worked at the Vatican, developing a large workshop with many assistants.
- He painted in the same period as da Vinci and Michelangelo. Michaelangelo saw him as the competition and disliked him.
Fig. 1: Self-Portrait of Raphael
Raphael: Biography
Raphael was born Raffaello Sanzio in April 1483 in Urbino, Italy. His father was a painter for the duke of Urbino. The city of Urbino was a major cultural center for art and humanism. Giovanni, Raphael's father, was his first art instructor, teaching him basic artistic techniques and humanistic philosophy.
Humanism:
The idea that science and philosophy can help solve human problems.
The Italian Renaissance:
A period of rapid cultural growth in Europe and wealth from 1300 to 1660 AD in which the classical Greek and Roman values and knowledge had a rebirth.
Raphael's father died when he was eleven years old. Even though he was a child, Raphael took over his father's workshop. His reputation surpassed his father's, and it wasn't long before the young man was known as one of the best painters in the area. He received his first commission from the Church of San Nicola in a nearby town.
Commission:
A request for an artist to create a painting, sculpture, or piece of music in exchange for money.
Raphael became an apprentice to Perugino (also known as Pietro Perugino or Pietro Vannuci) in 1500. Raphael traveled to Perugia in central Italy to work with his new master, who was working on painting frescoes. He worked with Perugino for four years, developing his own painting style. In this period, he finished Mond Crucifixion, The Three Graces, The Knight's Dream, and an altarpiece called Marriage of the Virgin.
Fig. 2: Mond Crucifixion
Fresco painting:
A painting technique where the paint is placed directly on top of fresh, wet plaster so the pigment becomes part of the surface.
Raphael moved to Florence in 1504, where he was exposed to artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Studying their work helped him develop an intricate personal style. His move to Florence occurred around the same time he began working on a series of Madonnas, which appeared to be an extension of da Vinci's work. Raphael worked on his Madonnas until 1507, the same year he created the Entombment. The Entombment was an ambitious piece of artwork reminiscent of one of Michelangelo's pieces of artwork, Battle of Cascina.
Raphael developed a reputation for being a skilled artist and friendly person. In 1508, Raphael headed to Rome to paint in the Stanze at the Vatican, as Pope Julius II commissioned him. He spent two years there, working on a cycle of frescoes in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura. Examples of these frescoes include The Triumph of Religion and The School of Athens. Completing these rooms was significant as it cemented his reputation as a great artist.
As a master painter, Raphael would later create more fresco cycles for the Vatican.
Did you know?
A "cycle of frescoes" is a set of frescoes that shows a series of related events.
By 1514, Raphael was known for his work at the Vatican and had assembled a crew of assistants to help him with his work. He was still painting and accepting commissions. He had begun to transition to working on architectural designs.
The pope hired Raphael to be the Church's head architect. He designed a chapel in Sant' Eligio degli Orefici, the Santa Maria del Popolo Chapel in Rome, and part of Saint Peter's new Basilica. Raphael also designed palaces.
Raphael died suddenly in his late thirties of mysterious causes. The primary theory is that he died of a fever-related illness. Other theories state that the master may have died of malaria, typhoid, or syphilis. He passed in April 1520. Raphael is buried in the Pantheon.
After he died, his art influenced the Italian Baroque period. He is praised for his balanced approach when painting Madonnas, portraits, frescoes, and developing architecture.
Raphael's design skills led to the development of Rome. He created the designs for many chapels, including parts of St. Peter's Basilica.
Paintings by Raphael
Serene. Harmonious. Balanced. All of these words describe Raphael's artwork. Rachael is known for being a master of High Renaissance techniques such as perspective, clear emotions, and anatomical correctness.
Did you know?
Raphael did not only paint frescoes; he also painted on canvas or with oil-based paint.
Raphael's Painting Style
Raphael's upbringing meant that he was expertly trained in the Umbrian painting style. His work often utilized jewel-colored tones.
Paintings like Marriage of the Virgin (1504), which depicts the marriage of Mary and Joseph, show vibrant colors and emotional expressions. The bright colors used in this piece of work would later become a defining attribute of his work.
Fig. 3: Marriage of the Virgin.
Raphael's Most Famous Painting
From 1509 to 1511, Rachael painted his most famous piece of artwork: The School of Athens.
The School of Athens
The School of Athens is viewed as Raphael's finest work. Its title refers to Classical philosophers instead of a school of philosophy. Raphael's fresco depicts said philosophers together in a Renaissance building that looks a lot like St. Peter's Basilica.
It features many notable, well-known philosophers. Viewers can see Plato and Aristotle in the center, surrounded by Pythagoras, Euclid, Zoraster, Averroresm, and Diogenes.
Philosophers are not the only people included. It is believed that a philosopher named Heraclitus had his body painted in the portrait, but he was given Miachengelo's face instead of his own. Many thought this was a sneer at Michelangelo. Heraclitus was known for his melancholy philosophy (he was known as the "weeping philosopher"), and Michelangelo was known for having a poor attitude.
Fig. 4: The School of Athens.
Raphael's Paintings: National Gallery
The National Gallery boasts that it possesses the most robust collection of Raphael's paintings. Some of the paintings that are on display at the National Gallery include:
- Saint George and the Dragon
- The Niccolini-Cowper Madonna
- Bindo Altoviti
Raphael: Summary
Raphael, one of the masters of the High Renaissance, was born Raffaello Sanzio in April 1483 in Urbino, Italy. He grew up under the artistic tutelage of his father until his father died when Raphael was eleven.
Raphael took over his father's workshop. His artistic skills developed quickly, and his reputation spread. He later became an apprentice to Perugino, traveling to central Italy to work with him. He continued crafting his own personal style under Perugino. During this period, he painted Mond Crucifixion, The Three Graces, The Knight's Dream, and an altarpiece called Marriage of the Virgin.
In 1504, Raphael relocated to Florence, where he was exposed to artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Some of his subsequent work was viewed as an extension of da Vinci and Michelangelo's, such as Raphael's Madonnas. Michelangelo believed that some of Raphael's work was too similar and accused him of copying his art.
Raphael completed many significant paintings, frescoes, and work for the Vatican. He transitioned into architecture, working for the pope as the head architect.
He died in his late thirties. While many theories surround his death, there is no concrete cause. He passed in April 1520. Raphael is buried in the Pantheon.
Raphael - Key Takeaways
- One of the masters of the High Renaissance, Raphael was born Raffaello Sanzio in April 1483 in Urbino, Italy. Before his father died, he acted as a guide for Raphael and his artistic abilities.
- Raphael was eleven when his dad died, but he still took over his father's workshop before becoming Perugino's apprentice.
- Raphael moved to Florence in 1504, where he was exposed to artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
- Raphael created fabulous works of art, including Madonnas, Mond Crucifixion, The Three Graces, The Knight's Dream, and an altarpiece called Marriage of the Virgin. His masterpiece is The School of Athens.
- He worked for the Vatican as both an artist and architect.
- He died in April 1520 at 37 years of age. Raphael is buried in the Pantheon.
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