Raphael
Name: Raphael
Nickname/Alias: born: Raffaello Sanzio
Achievements: Old Master
Born: April 6 1483; Urbino, Italy
Died: April 6, 1520; Papal States, Italy (Aged 37)
Field & Discipline: Art; Painter
Language: Italian
Father: Giovanni Santi (painter)
Mother: Magia di Battista Ciarla (d. 1491)
Siblings: Unknown
Spouse: None
Children: None
Education: Taught by father and then by experienced painters.
Major Works:
Decoration of the Stanza della Segnature
Life & Times:
By his father’s death in 1494 Raphael had been introduced to humanist philosophy at the court of Duke Federigo di [at court of] Montefeltro*, at Urbino, considered the political and intellectual centre of Renaissance Italy.
At this time, the Duke’s encouragement of the arts attracted great men such as [at court with] Alberti*, [at court with] Bramante* and [at court with] della Francesca*. Raphael’s early life in Urbino undoubtedly provided the basis for his future learning in Florence and Rome.
Raphael went on to gain great influence and knowledge from his apprenticeship, probably beginning in 1495, at Collegio del Cambio at Perugia, as a member of the workshop held by the great Umbrian master, [taught by] Perugino*. It was here that his first official work was recorded in a document dated December 10th 1500, which stated that Raphael, now aged 17 and a young “master,” was commissioned to help with the painting of an altarpiece, to be completed by September 13, 1502.
His work also included an important commission, received between 1501 and 1503, to paint the “Coronation of the Virgin” for the Oddi Chapel in the church of S. Francesco, Perugia (now in the Vatican Museum). Raphael’s first piece of acclaimed major work was “The Marriage of the Virgin” in 1504, inspired by Perugino’s work.
By the end of 1504, Raphael had produced three narrative paintings which included “Vision of a Knight,” “Three Graces” and “St Michael.” At this time, Raphael went in search of new influences. Hearing of the reputation of [influenced by] da Vinci* and [influenced by] Michelangelo* , he arrived in Florence and began to study not only their works, but also ‘the old things of [influenced by] Mascaccio*’.
His own artistic activity during the period 1505 - 1507 showed the influence of Leonardo and Michelangelo, who at that time were striving to outdo each other in the decoration of the Sala del Consiglio in the Palazzo dell Signoria. Although neither fresco was ever finished, Leonardo's “Battle of Anghiari” and Michelangelo's “Battle of Cascina” had a great influence on the many students, including Raphael, who went to view them and make copies.
Between 1505 and 1507, Raphael painted a great series of Madonnas, including "The Madonna of the Goldfinch" (c. 1505), the "Madonna del Prato" (c. 1505), the "Esterházy Madonna" (c. 1505-07), and "La Belle Jardinière" (c. 1507).
These owed much to Da Vinci’s lighting techniques, his use of chiaroscuro, light and dark contrasts and soft shading in order to capture forms and features. Raphael was noted for producing serene figure types, becoming renowned as the arch-rival of Michelangelo and being referred to as “The Prince of Painters.”
Raphael travelled on to Rome, where he spent the last 12 years of his life, called there by Pope [commissioned by] Julius II* in 1508 to decorate the three Papal apartments, known as the Stanze. The decoration of the Stanza della Segnatura (1508 to 1511), perhaps Raphael’s greatest work..
About the same time, probably in 1511, Raphael painted a more secular subject, the "Triumph of Galatea" in the Villa Farnesina in Rome; this work was considered the most important example of the High Renaissance.
He then returned to the Vatican palace to decorate the Stanza d’Eliodoro between 1512 and 1514, portraying miraculous events in Christian history. The four principal subjects were “The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple,” “The Liberation of St Peter,” “The Miracle at Bolsena” and “Leo I Halting Attila.”
The murals in the Stanza dell'Incendio (1514 to 1517), although designed by Raphael, were largely executed by his apprentices.
Despite the death of his patron Pope Julius II in 1513, Raphael continued at the papal apartments and in the same year designed and decorated the funeral chapel of Agostino Chigi in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo. Prior to his death, Julius had commissioned architect Donato Bramante to construct the new Basilica of St Peter to replace the original 4th century church and in 1514, his successor, Pope Leo X, chose Raphael to work alongside Bramante. Raphael then assumed direction of the work upon the death of Bramante later that year, completely altering the planned layout of the church from Greek radial to Latin longitudinal.
The new Pope Leo X had great faith in Raphael’s capabilities and appointed him Commissioner of Antiquities in 1515, responsible for supervision of the majority of papal commissions for architecture, decoration and paintings. He also completed an archaeological map of Rome in 1517.
It was at this time that he received a commission from the archbishop of Florence, Cardinal Guilio de’Medici, for his last masterpiece, namely the “Transfiguration,” which was intended to grace one side of the altar in the cathedral of Narbonne.
Raphael’s death in 1520, on his 37th birthday, which left the “Transfiguration” (now hanging in the Vatican museum) unfinished, to be completed later by his assistant [assistant was] Romano*.
Extra Connections: Influenced [influenced] Cortona*, [influenced] Clovio*, [influenced] Palladio*, [influenced] Mengs*, and [influenced] DG Rossetti*
Poussin*?
His painting of the Pope’s elephant triggered a satire from [satirized by] Aretino*
His work was collected by [work collected by] Sir T Lawrence*
He was commissioned by a friend [ commissioned by a friend] of Vasari*
He was influenced by [influenced by] Signorelli*
Assessment: The epitaph for his tomb reads: “ Here lies Raphael. Living, great Nature feared he might out-vie her works; and dying, fears herself may die.”
Oneliner: Raphael, great Renaissance painter
Bibliography:
- Ettlinger, Leopold D. & Helen S., Raphael, Phaidon: Oxford, 1987.