Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael) turned his life from becoming an orphan at eleven, to being

known as one of the greatest artists of all time. Raffaello’s numerous famous works have given

him recognition and admiration from many, and has proven to hold influence to many artists in

the future. Frescoes, a type of painting done in watercolor on wet surfaces, has appeared several

times throughout Raphael’s art, and believed to have made him so successful. He expressed a

style, which contrast to all the other at his time, was joyful, and with that style he managed to

achieve human perfection through his art. Raphael, an artist of the High Renaissance, has created

many works of art which still influence people today.

Raffaello Sanzio was born on April 6th, 1483, in Urbino, Italy. Raphael was born an only

child to Giovanni Santi and Maria di Battista Clara. At the time of his birth, Urbino was

flourishing with successful artists from all over the Mediterranean. Another aspect of art in his

early life was his father. Giovanni Santi owned an art workshop, and was a painter for the Duke

of Urbino, Federigo da Montefeltro. His father first introduced him to art while painting at the

Duke of Urbino. Tragically, both his of parents passed away while Raphael was still young; his

father passed away in 1494, and his mother in 1491. In 1494, after Giovanni Santi’s death,

eleven year old Raphael took over his father’s workshop. This opportunity let young Raphael

share his early art with the world. As early as his teens, he began being commissioned to paint;

one of them being for the Church of San Nicola in Castelllo. Soon enough, Raphael was named

one of the best painters in town

Raphael continued expanding his art career with moving to Perugia in 1495. His four

yearlong apprenticeship with Pietro Perugino began while Perugino was painting frescoes at the

Collegio del Castello. This experience let Raphael gain advanced knowledge from Perugino.

During those four years, Raphael developed his own style of painting. This style is believed to be

influenced by Perugino, and other artists of the High Renaissance such as Michelangelo,

Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Bortolommeo, and Masaccio’s works. An example would be Raphael’s

St. George and the Dragon (1505) and St. George and the Dragon (1504-06) are similar with
Perugino’s style, nontheless, the intensity of the knight, horse, and dragon is above Perugino’s

skill. Another example is Raphael’s painting The Marriage of the Virgin (1481-82). It was

influenced by Perugino’s The Giving of the Keys to St. Peter (1504). Overall, it is known that

Raphael’s sweetness, animation, emotion, and connection between characters are at a higher

level than Perugino’s. One of his greatest works while in Perugia is The Coronation of the Virgin

(is now hung in the Oddi Chapel in the church of San Francesco, Perugia, now the Vatican.)

Raphael’s passion and strive for art led him to move to Florence, Italy, in 1504. Once in

Florence, he studied the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Fra Bortolommeo, and

Masaccio. This made Raphael’s style further develop as he gained more knowledge about art. He

began to examine each painter’s works for inspiration and knowledge. For example, he examined

Leonardo’s style of chiaroscuro (intense contrast between light and dark) and sfumato (light and

soft shading). While in Florence, Raphael painted a series of his infamous Madonnas: the

Madonna of the Goldfinch (1505), the Madonna del Prato (1505), the Esterhazy Madonna

(1505-07), and La Belle Jardiniere (1507). The Madonnas had high influence from Leonardo.

This can be seen as Raphael even used the character of virgin from Leonardo’s Benois Madonna

(1480) for one of his paintings. Additionally, Raphael studied Michelangelo’s way of expressing

the human body and its anatomy. This helped Raphael paint The Deposition of Christ (1507)

Nevertheless, through all the inspiration, and knowledge gained from Raphael’s idols, their

styles held much contrast. Leonardo and Michelangelo’s styles were dark and intense, while

Raphael’s style was soft, sweet, and joyful. “Pain and ugliness were strangers to his art; he was

preeminently the artist of joy,” (Hurll 11). Furthermore, he surpassed Leonardo in his ability to

create round, soft, yet humanlike faces. The peak of his unique and soft style is expressed in his

La Belle Jardiniere (1507). “The painting marked a big leap forward for the young artist, being

one of the most ambitious of the Madonnas he painted in Florence, and borrowing

enthusiastically from compositions by Leonardo da Vinci (…) – not unusual, though suggesting
Raphael was still finding his own signature flash and dash,” says Margaret Carrigan, a New York

writer with an MA in Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Raphael’s unique style lead him to Rome. He was invited to Roma by a suggestion by

Donato Bremante, so Pope Julius II invited Raphael to travel to Rome. Once in Rome, Raphael

began to be heavily admired by many, yet the admiration was not only for his works, but also for

his charming looks. “Raphael was endowed with a handsome appearance and great personal

charm in addition to his prodigious artistic talents, and he eventually became so popular that he

was called the prince of painters.” (Britannica 10) At the time, Pope Julius II was highly

influential, as he invited many famous artists to paint for him. For example, Bremonte had

previously painted at a church for him, and Michelangelo painted his tomb for his death. Raphael

was commissioned to paint frescoes for the apartments in the Vatican Papal. Raphael painted for

the Stanze della Segratura (1508-11), Stanza d’Eliodoro (1512-14), and Stanza dell’ Incendio

(1514-17); These were apartments in the Vatican Papal, and on the walls hung Raphael’s

fresecoes. Stanza dell’ Incendio was designed by Raphael but painted by his students and

assistants. The other two, on the other hand, were designed and painted by Raphael himself. The

Stanza della Segratura’s walls hold The School of Athens, and the frescoes of Disputa,

Paranssus, and Cardinal. The Stanza d’ Eliodora holds the Expansion of Heliodorus from the

Temple, The Mass at Bolesna, The Liberation of St. Peter, and Leo I Halting Attila. The Stanza

dell’ Incendio has the Fire in the Borgo, Battle of Ostia, and Coronation of Charlemagne. Each

of the paintings held religious meaning, which is not foreign to Raphael. As an atheist, Raphael

was commissioned to paint for many churches, which did not change his thoughts on religion. In

addition, Raphael continued painting the series of his Madonnas. The Madonnas he executed in

Rome were more energetic compared to his past works.

Throughout his career, Raphael painted many portraits, his most famous one being the

portrait of Baldassare Castiglione. Moreover, Leo X commissioned Raphael to paint ten

tapestries for the Sistine Chapel (1516-19): Christ’s Charge to Peter, The Miraculous Drought
of Fishes, The Death of Ananias, The Healing of the Lame Man, The Blinding of Elymas, The

Sacrifice at Lystra, and St. Paul Preaching at Athens. Michelangelo, one of Raphael’s greatest

inspirations, painted the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling as one of his most famous works. Leo X, a pope

and ruler of the Papal States, held a great importance in Raphael’s life, providing him with

opportunities and commissions to spread his works.

Not only did Raphael paint, but he also was an architect, preserver, and archeologist.

Raphael designed the church of Sant’ Eligio degli Orefici, and designed and decorated the

church of Santa Maria del Popolo for Agostino Chigi (1513), and designed the Basilica of St.

Peters for Leo X. Raphael’s archeological works include drawing a map of Rome and his studies

on Greco-Roman sculptures and culture. Raphael also preserved Leo X’s ancient marbles. Those

marbles held ancient inscriptions in Latin. By 1517, he was in charge of almost all architectural,

artistic, preserving, and decorations in Rome.

Unfortunately, Raphael passed away on his 37th birthday on April 6th, 1520. He died

unexpectedly of fever while painting The Transfiguration. He was buried in the Parthenon,

Rome, and his funeral was held in the Vatican. At the funeral, The Transfiguration, finished by

Giulio Romano, was hung at the head of the bier. The Transfiguration is a masterpiece filled

with thrilling actions and dark colors. “(…) Elegance of execution with an atmosphere of tension

and violence communicated by the agitated gestures of closely crowded groups of figures. It

shows a new sensibility that is like the prevision of a new world, turbulent and dynamic (…)”.

(Britannica 22).

Raphael inspired many through his unique painting style. His sense of emotion in his

paintings inspired many to do the same in the future. Raphael had established a new way of

communication through which people could understand and comprehend his art. He developed a

way of visual communication in which people could come together to relate, socialize, and share

their experiences and opinions. Unlike many others in his day and age, Raphael’s paintings

advocated calmness, joyfulness, and sweetness. Raphael has shown over and over again his
ability to learn information, then later surpass it in his own work. His numerous contributions to

many artistic topics during his time have inspired and lead many to improve their art. His life

shows ideal in not only works, but in his personality and actions. Raphael held a big role in

developing the world’s art, architecture, and archeology. Without Raphael, people would not be

able to admire his works, and become inspired from his ideas.
 Works Cited

Biography.com Editors. “Raphael Biography.” The Biography.com website. 17 Oct. 2019 A&E

Television Networks. Web. www.biography.com/artist/raphael Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.

Carrigan, Margaret. “The 10 Best Artworks by Raphael, Seraphic Genius of the Renaissance—

Ranked.” Art World. Web. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/10-greatest-artworks-

raphael-seraphic-genius-renaissance-ranked-1047047 Accessed 15 Feb. 2020.

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Raphael.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 May. 2019

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Web. www.britannica.com/biography/Raphael-Italian-

painter-and-architect Accessed 5 Feb. 2020.

Finnan, Vincent. “Italian Renaissance Art. A personal voyage into art history.” Italian

Renaissance Art.com. Web. https://www.italian-renaissance-art.com/ Accessed 15 Feb.

2020.

Hurll, Estelle. “Introduction.” Raphael. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company,

1899. Print. Accessed 5 Feb. 2020