Raphael: Beloved Renaissance Genius

Welcome back to the Accessible Art History YouTube channel. This week marks the 500th anniversary of the death of one of history's greatest artists, Raphael. He is famous for his use of color, clean composition, and stunning naturalism. In honor of this anniversary, we are going to examine his life and three of his major works. Before we examine his works, we have to understand Raphael's life. Raphael Alsancio was born in the small central Italian city of Urbino in 1483. His father, Giovanni, was the resident court artist of the Duke of Urbino. He was both a poet and a painter, so it was likely that Raphael's first lessons came from him. After the death of his father, when Raphael was 11, he learned from other central Italian artists, including Perugiano. His talent was clear, and by 1508, Pope Julius II invited him to work at the papal court in Rome. By creating a large workshop, Raphael was able to turn out a remarkable number of works. His work was in high demand, and he quickly gained fame in the Eternal City, but his career was cut short when he died young. Some reports say that it was due to exhaustion from a night of too much lovemaking, while others indicated that he had been sick for about two weeks prior. Regardless, the city was devastated by his passing. Raphael was buried in the Pantheon, the highest honor Rome could bestow upon him. In 1509, Raphael was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint frescoes in the apostolic apartments. The theme of the work is the Pillars of Scholarship. The School of Athens represents philosophy and shows a multitude of famous thinkers throughout classical history. Aristotle and Plato stand front and center, showing how pivotal they were to the development of Western thought. If the viewer looks closely, they will see that Raphael used many of his contemporaries as models for the ancient philosophers. For example, the architect Bramante is shown as the mathematician Euclid. This fresco shows off the perfection that the Renaissance artists attempted to achieve. We see a clear vanishing point directly above Plato and Aristotle. All the lines connect there. The clear structure helps enforce classical ideals. During his career, Raphael painted numerous paintings of the Madonna and Child. This particular one is one of his most famous. It is called the Small Cowper Madonna after the collector that owned it before it came in possession of the National Gallery of Art. It features a beautiful blonde Virgin Mary holding her son. She is seated on the edge of a small bench as Jesus is in the process of standing up. There is a very faint golden halo around her head, reminding the viewer of her divinity. One of the aspects of this work that make it so extraordinary is the landscape that Raphael painted in the background. It is a beautiful clear day in a lush area. Two figures walk towards a reflecting pond. There is also a building on the hill to the right side of the painting, possibly a church. This background brings a sense of peace and beauty to this devotional image. In Greek mythology, Galatea was a nymph, a type of sea nymph, who was married to one-eyed Cyclops, Polyphemus. However, she fell in love with a handsome shepherd named Asus. The two became lovers until her husband found her. Filled with a jealous rage, Polyphemus killed Asus. Galatea was devastated and used her powers to turn him into an immortal river spirit. Raphael painted her triumphal apotheosis as a fresco in the home of Agostino Cigi, one of the richest men in Rome. This work was created around 1514. It is not the usual depiction of Galatea, but it is stunning nonetheless. In this fresco, viewers see the Nereid riding on a pair of dolphins surrounded by other nymphs. The colors are vibrant. Raphael was inspired by ancient Roman frescoes. The figure of Galatea is considered to be a great beauty. At the time, people speculated that she was inspired by Cigi's mistress. However, letters survived that show Raphael imagined the figure, wanting to make her the ideal of beauty. When one thinks of the High Renaissance, Raphael immediately comes to mind. His use of color, naturalism, and clean composition made him beloved both in his time and in the future. From religious works to Greek mythology, Raphael was able to capture it all effortlessly.