| Raphael Sanzio from Urbino (April 6, 1481 – April 6, 1520) was the great artist of the Italian Renaissance.
Raphael’s Biography:
Giovanni Santi was a court painter and a poet at the Duke of Urbino's court in the 15th Century. On April 6, 1483 a little boy called Raphael was born. Giovanni could not boast of his birth, or his wealth but he did have a sense of beauty, the firm hand of a painter and a rich imagination. All this inheritance he passed to the boy at the right time and introduced him to the wonderful world of art. Duke Federico da Montefeltro valued his painter highly. This might have been the reason why Raphael became close friends with his son Guidobaldo whose patronage played a significant role in the life of the future genius.
Raphael lost his mother when he was eighteen and three years later in 1494 his father also passed away. The boy was left in charge of his uncle Bartolommeo who helped him get into the studio of the court painter who replaced Raphael’s father at the Duke’s court after his death.
The future painter learned a lot from Timoteo Viti, who opened the secrets of his craft to him. In five years Raphael left for Perugia and became a student at the studio of the Umbrian school painter, Perugino. Here he became so interested in his teacher’s creative work that this period of his life was later called “Perugian period”. In 1503 (according to other sources in 1504) Raphael got one of his first private orders to create an Altar image in in San Francesco church in Chita di Castello.
The painting “The Marriage of the Virgin” is regarded as the final work of Raphael’s early period.
Raphael’s teacher, Perugino, moved to Florence together with his studio in 1503 but the young master could only follow him a year later in autumn. Florence gave Raphael new creative impressions, and there began to understand that the canons of Umbrian School are far too narrow for his creativity, they restrain him and do not let him develop to the top of his abilities. Perugino introduced Raphael to the master of architecture and construction Florence of Baccio D'Agnolo whose studio was a meeting place for great artists, architects and sculptors of Florence. Sometimes the studio was visited by aristocrats. Here Raphael first met Taddeo Taddei, who later became his patron.
As a result of four years of work in Florence, Raphael gave his paintings with Madonna images to the world, which still remain very famous. "Madonna Conestabile" painted between 1500 and 1502 is now held in Hermitage. Another work with a Madonna image is the painting called “Madonna del Prato”. One can clearly see the influence of the great da Vinci looking at this painting but at the same time the painting clearly has signs of Raphael’s unique plastic art. The painting “Madonna dell Granduca” was created around 1505, almost simultaneously Raphael finished working on another painting - “Madonna with Beardless St. Joseph”. The top of the cycle is the painting “Madonna of the Goldfinch” striking with its harmony. Although it may well be so that all these female images were created by Raphael when he was longing for his mother who left him very early. One thing's for sure – Raphael’s paintings differ considerably from the works of other painters of that period being full of vital power, reality of the world, they violate all accepted classical canons.
In 1507 Raphael finishes his work “Madonna of the Garden” in which he combined the ideals of motherhood, beauty and femininity – real earthly wonders. His other work “The Deposition” painted in the same year is characterized by immense power and sadness. It was commissioned by Atalanta Baglioni who tragically lost her son. Even Raphael’s contemporaries were fascinated by the precision of the image of the human body and all its anatomical paucities.
By the order of Pope Julius II Raphael who was already very famous at that time is invited to Rome in 1508. He was entrusted to paint the front apartments of the old Vatican Palace. Later on, the four Stanze di Raffaello ("Raphael's rooms") will become very famous. Although, at first Julius II gave Raphael a very small area for painting – to test the painter, after seeing the beginning of his work he dismissed all the other painters and gave Raphael full freedom in his actions. This job takes Raphael three years to finish and soon after its completion he receives another order and in 1511 starts painting “Stanza d'Eliodoro” – another room of the palace and in 1515 Raphael begins to work on “Stanza dell'Incendio”
Pope Julius II died in 1513 and cardinals gathered in the Cathedral elected the next Pope – Leo X. Despite his high rank and his holiness Leo X adored festive hustle glitter and did not forget about life's pleasures. During Leo X times Raphael becomes one of the leading figures of cultural life in Rome, he is engaged in painting and architecture in Vatican and has an opportunity to recruit students. From now on, most of the paintings are done by his students but from the master’s drawings and under his vigilant supervision. Raphael himself during this period is working on portraits and his numerous “Madonna's” . |
The 528th birthday of Raphael Sanzio, generally recognized by his first name alone, will be celebrated this Wednesday, April 6 by artists around the globe. Along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the original trinity of Renaissance masters. Raphael became acquainted with art from his father Giovanni Santi, who was a court painter to the Duke of Urbino.
Ironically, this Wednesday was also the anniversary of Raphael's death - he died on his 37th birthday. Through his brief life, Raphael was extremely productive and produced numerous paintings, frescos, and prints. His "Sistine Madonna" is considered one of the most well known and cherished paintings of the High Renaissance.
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