10-08 Raphael

Good morning. My talk today is about one of the greatest artists of the high renaissance. In fact, in the 19th century he was regarded as the greatest artist of the high renaissance because of the technical skill, the classical beauty of his work and its spiritual depth. He was regarded as embodying the best elements of the high renaissance. So let's find out more about him. He was born Raffaello Sanzio d'Urbino because he was born in Urbino. He was the son of Giovanni Santi, court painter to the Duke of Urbino, so it was an artistic family and his talent for art was recognised at an early age and he began his training in his father's workshop. After his father's death in 1494, Raffaello took over the family workshop when he was just 11 years old. In 1500 he became an apprentice to the renowned Umbrian master Pietro Perugino in Perugia and he initially absorbed the styles and techniques of Perugino. He moved to Florence in 1504 when he saw the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo and that led to a significant development of his style as he started to incorporate their innovations in his work. You can see here from this self-portrait of the young Raffaello his intense direct gaze, his dark hair, black cap typical of renaissance painters, a thoughtful expression composed reflecting both his youth and his growing confidence as an artist. It's notable for its clarity and skilful use of light and shadow to model the face. When this was painted in 1506 he was considered by then a prince of painters despite the fact he was just 23. He was rapidly gaining recognition and commissions and then 1504 he just moved to Florence. He was a charming and affable person unlike Michelangelo who was known for his sort of brooding nature and Raffaello's charisma contributed to his rapid rise. Everybody liked him. He was able to secure prestigious commissions and despite his youth he already managed his own workshop. He'd gained experience of that running his father's workshop and he started to receive very significant commissions. Now as I said in 1504 he moved to Florence and painted this. This is the Marriage of the Virgin and it marked the end of his apprenticeship with Perugino and the beginning of his independent career when he was just 21. And this work shows his mastery of perspective. I think the work is designed to show that mastery and his ability to create these harmonious balanced compositions with multiple figures in. What it's showing is the marriage of Mary and Joseph and it's set against a backdrop of a temple with a central dome. The figures and the temple are symmetrical with Mary and Joseph at the centre surrounded by their attendants and her suitors. And you can see Raffaello's already his attention to detail in the architectural elements, delicate rendering of the fabrics, the facial expressions all varied and detailed, vibrant colours, rich blues and reds. The temple in the background by the way is an idealised representation of the Temple of Jerusalem but it's also very similar to Bramante's this Tempietta in Rome which is believed to have been built about two years before. So it could have been an influence on Raffaello in the design of this building which represents, as I said, the Temple of Jerusalem. The other thing about this is you might wonder why the chap on the right in the front foreground is breaking a rod. This is from the apocryphal Gospel of James and according to this source Joseph was chosen for Mary by a miraculous sign from God. Joseph's rod, you can just about see it, Joseph's rod blossomed while the rods of the other suitors remained barren and so the breaking of the rod signifies their acceptance of God's judgment that she should marry Joseph. And the final point, Raffaello, you can just see it in the background, he signed this work on the frieze of the temple, I think indicating his pride in this early masterpiece. This is 1505, he painted many Madonna and Childs and this one is the Madonna del Granduca, the Grand Duke, and it shows his ability, his evolving style, shows the influence of Leonardo and it's an intimate portrait of the Virgin and Child. It's a simple composition, dark background, although we know from x-ray analysis that originally there was a landscape behind the Madonna and a balustrade running across behind her, but the dark background emphasises the figures and creates this sense of intimacy and devotion. The faces are softly modelled, there's a delicate handling of light, I think demonstrating his growing mastery of technique, especially borrowing from the technique of Leonardo. The name, the Madonna of the Grand Duke, comes from its late owner, Ferdinand III, who was Grand Duke of Tuscany and he was said to travel with this painting and pray before it daily. It's a relatively small size and that enabled it to be taken with him and such small Madonnas are typically used for private devotion. It was lost and rediscovered in the home of a poor widow who sold it for a mere 300 scudia, which was a fraction of its true value. And the final point, x-ray analysis shows that it was the Madonna was originally painted with a headdress and it's believed it was Raphael who removed it to create this more intimate portrayal. Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn, one of his early works from the Florentine period, shows his growing skill in portraiture. It's a young woman holding a unicorn, which is a symbol of purity and chastity. She's turned three quarters on, her gaze is directed outwards towards us, reflecting Leonardo's influence. There's a landscape background visible between two columns to add depth to the composition. Now, the painting had been what was later overpainted with a wheel to represent St. Catherine and it wasn't until 1935 that it was discovered that this was a later overpainting. It was scraped off to reveal the unicorn. However, later x-ray analysis revealed the unicorn was not original. It was originally a small dog and so it was probably a bridal portrait as the dog represents marital fidelity. It was also another artist added the columns and the red sleeves. But we can still see Raphael's delicate handling of light and shadow, particularly in the three-dimensional look, to bring the subject to life. We don't know who she is though. I mean, there's been a lot of speculation. She might be Madalena Strozzi, who was the wife of a Florentine merchant, but later research, 2016, suggests she might be Laura Orsini, who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI's mistress, Julia Farnese, who married Della Rovere in 1505. But the identification has not been confirmed, so there's various possibilities. Also, it originally was attributed to his former master Pietro Perugino, but it was recognised as a Raphael in the early 20th century. Saint George and the Dragon, a small work but exquisite from his early period again, painted for Henry VIII of England, but it was commissioned by Guido Baldo de Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, as a diplomatic gift to the king, Henry VII of England. And it depicts a legendary confrontation between Saint George and the dragon, and Raphael has captured the dramatic moment of Saint George piercing the dragon's chest with his lance. And in the background, you can see the princess whom Saint George has saved, praying. And it shows, I think, despite its small size, it creates a sense of movement and energy. There's a detailed landscape in the background, a distant town, showing his growing skill at depicting nature. Notice on the left leg of Saint George, there's a blue garter, likely to be a reference to the Order of the Garter, England's highest order of chivalry. And Raphael actually painted two versions of this. One is in the Louvre and is a slightly different composition. And this one, which was, as I said, was painted for the King of England, is now in the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. You might be wondering how it actually arrived in America. It left England, as many other works did, during the Commonwealth Sale. That was the sale of the art collection of Charles I. The sale took place in 1651 of this work, and it was purchased by a marquise in France. And then in 1772, it was bought by Catherine II of Russia. And then much later, 1931, it was sold by Russia to Andrew Mellon, who donated it to the National Gallery in Washington. The Beautiful Gardener is one of Raphael's most celebrated Madonnas from this early Florentine period. And you can see it's showing his increasingly sophisticated technique, composition, ability to combine a religious subject with naturalism and grace, and a well developed detailed background landscape. The Virgin is in a meadow with the Christ Child and the young John the Baptist. It's a pyramidal composition, a technique that Raphael likely studied from Leonardo's work. And the mastery of colour is evidenced here in the rich blues and the subtle graduation in the tones of the flesh. By the way, it's called The Beautiful Gardener simply because of the flowery meadow setting, and we don't believe that that was Raphael's intended original title. We know from X-ray analysis, he made several changes to the composition, including altering the position of Christ's arm. And we also know that it was unfinished when he left for Rome in 1508, and it was completed by Rodolfo del Ghirandello. So in 1508, he was called to Rome by Pope Julius II to decorate the papal apartments in the Vatican. And this launched perhaps his most productive and influential phase of his career, and he created some of his most celebrated works in the Vatican. And this is perhaps his most celebrated work there, The School of Athens in the Stanza della Segnatura, that's the Room of Signatures, between 1509 and 1511. And this is, in many ways, a culmination of his artistic development, the high point of his development. And what he's showing here is a gathering of ancient Greek philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians in this grand architectural setting. At the centre, in the middle, below the far arch, are Plato and Aristotle, and there's a number of other notable figures, Pythagoras, Euclid, Ptolemy, and so on. And all the figures together are very integrated and harmoniously arranged, creating a sense of depth and grandeur. It's believed that the architectural setting was inspired by Bramante's designs for the new Saint Peter's Basilica, which was being constructed at the time. The two figures in the centre, Plato and Aristotle, the one on the left here, is a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, and also Michelangelo is in the front here as Heraclitus. Raphael himself is hidden away on the lower right of the fresco, showing himself as the ancient Greek painter Apelles. And then finally, over there, there's maybe a sort of an anachronism. Averroes was a 12th century Islamic philosopher, so he's being shown amongst the ancient Greek thinkers as he was recognised during the Renaissance as such an important philosopher. He's been included by Raphael in this painting, The School of Athens. This is 1510, the Alba Madonna, a masterpiece from his Roman period. It's a circular painting, a tondo as it's called, a harmonious composition within this more challenging format. It shows Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, and again the young John the Baptist, a serene landscape thought to be inspired by the Roman Campagna, the countryside around Rome, where he often sketched. It's a pyramidal composition again, and Christ Child is shown, as you can see, taking the cross from John the Baptist, a sign that foreshadows his future sacrifice and his acceptance of that future sacrifice, the taking of the cross. The anemones that are shown, just about visible in St John's arms, symbolise the resurrection because according to tradition, anemones are said to have sprung up in Calvary when Christ's blood fell on the ground during the crucifixion. They're also, of course, an early blooming spring flower, so they symbolise new life after winter and rebirth. I think the colour in this work is particularly notable, particularly the bright blue of Mary's robes, contrasting with the warm earth tones, the soft modelling of the figures again. By the way, the painting, the Alba Madonna, gets its name from the Alba family of Spain, who owned it for three centuries, and then they sold it to Nicholas I of Russia. During that time, it was successfully transferred from wood to canvas, a very delicate process, but it didn't damage the work, and it remained in Russia until 1931, when it was sold to Andrew Mellon for over $1.1 million, the highest price then paid for a painting. This is Raphael's portrait of Pope Julius II, painted in 1511. It's a groundbreaking work. It revolutionised papal portraiture and it became the standard or the template for papal portraits for the next century. Now Julius II was known as the warrior pope because he went into battle and he was one of Raphael's most important patrons, and Raphael here has captured his complex personality, seated in a chair. His expression does convey authority but also introspection. He grew his beard, incidentally, during a period of military defeat, and it adds a sense of vulnerability and humanity to the portrait. The work is noted for its psychological depth, and it's a departure from the previous typical idealised representations of papal power. Raphael has managed to capture both the public and the private aspects of the pope, and it set a new standard for portraiture. This painting, incidentally, was thought lost, but it wasn't rediscovered until 1970, when it was found in a private collection, and Raphael created several versions of the portrait. This is the one now in the National Gallery in London. The Sistine Madonna, painted in 1512-13. By the way, Sistine is a slight misnomer. It wasn't created for the Sistine Chapel, but it was created for the Church of San Sisto, which is in Piacenza, which is south of Milan, and it was commissioned by Pope Julius II, but it's no longer in that church. The Benedictine monks sold the original Raphael to the King of Poland, which is why it's now ended up in Dresden, and in the church there is a painting like this, but it's a copy by Pietro Avenzini. The Virgin is holding the Christ Child between Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara, and you might have noticed already the two cherubs at the bottom of the painting. They are often reproduced independently, so you see them reproduced in a lot of different works. They weren't actually part of the original commission, but they were added by Raphael as a sort of artistic flourish to finish the work. He, again through the use of colour, has created this sense of divine radiance, and the expressions and the poses convey a range of emotion from reverence to contemplation. He's shown the figures within a frame created by parted curtains, which creates a sort of theatrical effect and draws us into the work. It was, during World War II, hidden in a tunnel in Saxony, and that protected it from the bombing of Dresden. This is the Triumph of Galatea. It's one of his most celebrated mythological works, and you can now find it in the Villa Farinzena in Rome. It was originally owned by a wealthy banker Augustino Chigi, and it demonstrates his mastery, again, of classical themes and his ability to create these dynamic, complex compositions. What it's showing is the nymph Galatea, a sea goddess surrounded by mythological sea creatures. She's standing on this shell chariot pulled by dolphins, and it's in a way showing her triumph over the love of the cyclops Polyphemus. Her name, Galatea, means milk white, which refers to the white foam of the waves, and the story behind it is that the cyclops Polyphemus fell in love with her, wooed her with milk and cheese. She spurned him as she preferred a handsome youth called Asis, and this enraged Polyphemus, who crushed Asis with a rock, and the grief-stricken Galatea transformed the body into a stream. What we're seeing here is Galatea before that happened. It's a swirling composition, numerous figures, creates a sense of movement and energy, and again his use of colour and warm flesh tones contrasted against the blue of the sky and the sea. The Galatea herself is based on or inspired by an ancient Roman fresco that he'd seen in the ruins of Emperor Nero's palace in Rome, and her face is said to be a composite of several beautiful women he used as models because he found or believed that no single model could embody the ideal beauty of Galatea, although Michelangelo, upon seeing this fresco, is reported to have criticised Raphael for some anatomical inaccuracies in some of the figures. This is a portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, painted between 1514 and 1515, and many consider this is one of the greatest portraits of the Renaissance. Castiglione was a diplomat and author of the Book of the Courtier. He was a close friend of Raphael and embodied the ideals of the Renaissance man. So Raphael has shown him seated against this neutral background, simple but elegant clothing, and you can see here the masterful use of sfumato, which I could have mentioned earlier. It's a technique he learned from Leonardo da Vinci. It's this soft, smoky, atmospheric effect that enhances the skin tones and the subjects present. It's a very difficult technique. What it requires is multiple, thin, translucent glazes to be applied, and each one, before the paint dries, is delicately blended with a soft brush with the others behind it to achieve this almost imperceptible transition from light to dark across the face, representing these soft skin tones. And this work is noted for its intimacy and psychological depth, this direct gaze, slight smile, a sense of engagement with us, and at the same time conveying both dignity and approachability. And it influenced portrait styles for centuries, this particular work. Castiglione was also a poet and in one of his poems he praises Raphael's ability to capture not just his likeness but his soul. This is the Madonna of the Chair, painted between 1513 and 14, and it's one of his most beloved works, one of his works that many people like. It's a circular, it's a tondo, a circular painting, and it depicts the Virgin Mary on a chair holding the Christ Child, and again the young John the Baptist. The circular composition in which he's used the space more fully here to create this sense of unity and completeness, he's fitted the figures perfectly within this round frame, and again his warm, rich colours contribute to the emotional impact. There's a legend that Raphael was inspired to paint this work after he saw a peasant woman with her child on the street and he quickly sketched the scene on the bottom of a wine barrel, it's said, and that led to this painting. A painting that is so popular it's been reproduced countless times and in the 19th century appeared on everything from little cameos to biscuit tins. This is a fresco that he painted on the wall of, in translation, the Room of the Village Fire, it's called, in 1514, and it shows his ability to master a complex narrative composition and to combine all the elements together. The story is that it's showing a miracle attributed to Pope Leo IV who died in 855, and the miracle, it's said, that he extinguished a fire in the Borgo district of Rome, and you can see the fire on the left, by a blessing, and you can see him in the centre, in the building, the first floor of the building at the back, performing the blessing, and as a result the fire was said to have died down and gone away. But Raphael shows all of the events taking place, it shows the fire, the people fleeing, the attempts to extinguish the fire, people trying to save their loved ones, the baby being passed down, and the blessing starting to take place at the same time. It's a very dynamic work and creates a sense of drama. The muscular figure on the left is showing the older man on the back of a younger man, is probably a reference to Aeneas carrying his father Anchises from the burning Troy, so it's linking the papal miracle of the 9th century to classical mythology. Raphael designed the composition but much of the actual painting was likely executed by his workshop and particularly by Giulio Romano, then one of his apprentices. This is painted 1517-18, Portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals, another masterpiece of Renaissance portraiture. Pope Leo X, who was Giovanni de' Medici, is seated between the Cardinals, who are his cousins, Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de Rossi, and is noted for its psychological depth again and its portrayal of power. The Pope is examining an illuminated manuscript with a magnifying glass, showing his scholarly interests. You can see the rich textures of the fabrics, the intricate details, demonstrating Raphael's technical virtuosity in being able to illustrate so many different types of fabric. The deep reds of the Cardinal's robe contrasting with the white of the Pope's clothing and Raphael's ability to capture the individual personalities of the subject and conveying their status and relationship is remarkable. It was commissioned, incidentally, by the Pope to be sent to Florence to stand in for him as he was unable to attend a family wedding, so he sent this portrait instead. The book he's examining is the Bible and it's actually turned into the first chapter of the Gospel of John. And as a final comment, Giorgio Vasari, the artist and art historian and biographer, praised this work as being so lifelike that viewers would be tempted to bow before it because it looks as if the Pope were really present. This is Saint Michael vanquishing Satan, 1518. We're coming now to some of his last works. It was commissioned by Pope Leo X as a gift to Francis I of France. Again, dynamic composition. It's painted from an looking down on the figures and it shows Archangel Michael defeating Satan. Michael is in mid-air and about to strike Satan with a spear. Satan is a figure that includes a number of elements, you can see the serpent's tail, you can see the ram's horns on his head and the dragon's wings on his back. This work, which is a large work, it's over two and a half metres high, is based on or inspired by an earlier work sometimes called The Little Saint Michael, which is only about a foot high. And the increase in scale is associated with a simplification showing Raphael's growing confidence and prominence as an artist. He's, in this 1518 work, he's shown an elaborate background but streamlined the composition from the earlier work to show this dramatic confrontation between good and evil. There's some speculation, again, that his by then right-hand man Giulio Romano may have had a significant role in creating the painting. The reason is this use of a lot of black ink for sort of smoky effects and the metallic coloured palette are somewhat unusual for Raphael, which is why some people think that Romano may have had more involvement with this work. But by this time, 1518, Raphael was at the peak of his career. He had a large workshop. He was working on many high-profile commissions simultaneously. His workshop was thriving and he was then one of the most respected artists in Rome. And his work by this stage was incorporating and unifying together influences from Leonardo, da Vinci and Michelangelo. But by this stage, he developed his own distinctive approach to painting. I'll show you more work after this, but this is his last major painting, the Transfiguration, painted between 1516 and 1520, the year he died. It was left unfinished at his death and it was completed by his workshop. It was commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, later Pope Clement VII, for a cathedral in France, the Cathedral of Narbonne. And it was painted, as you can see, in two distinct parts. The upper part depicts the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, with Moses and Elijah either side of him. And then the lower section shows the apostles attempting to heal a possessed boy, linking the divine miracle above with human suffering below. And Raphael's mastery of composition is evident in how he balances these two scenes, using light and gesture to connect them. And in a way, it's a very early painting showing the emerging Mannerist tendencies, bridging the high Renaissance ideals with these more distorted Mannerist tendencies. It was displayed at his funeral as a tribute to his genius, and contemporaries say that it brought tears to viewers' eyes. The boy in the lower section is believed to be a self-portrait of the young Raphael. And although I said it was commissioned for the Narbonne Cathedral, in fact, it would never left Rome, and it's now in the Vatican collection. I thought I'd end with this painting, La Fornarina, painted between 1518 and 1519, because it enables me to talk a little bit more about Raphael's personality. And this is a very intriguing and personal work. It's believed to depict Margarita Lutti, who it's believed, again, was the daughter of a baker, although there's some argument over that. But the nickname Fornarina means baker's daughter. And she was reportedly Raphael's lover, muse, and model. And she's shown here, partly nude, wearing a turban, and her left hand resting on her breast, directly looking out. But it's an intimate pose, creating this sense of sensuality and personal connection. And unusually, on her left arm, you can see Raphael has painted his name, indicating his close relationship with the model. Now, he had a passionate but secret relationship with Margarita Lutti, as he was officially engaged to Maria Bivinea, the niece of a powerful cardinal. Now, Raphael was a passionate man, had many lovers. And in fact, he postponed his marriage to Bivinea six years. Let me read something that Giorgio Vasari wrote in his book, The Lives of Artists, which gives you an insight into the sort of person Raphael was. Raphael was a very amorous man who was fond of women, and he was always quick to serve them. This is the reason why, as he continued to pursue his carnal delights, he was treated with too much consideration and acquiescence by his friends. When his dear friend Agostini commissioned him to paint the first loggia in his palace, Raphael could not really put his mind to his work because of his love for one of his mistresses. Agostini became so desperate over this that, through his own efforts and with the assistance of others, he worked things out in such a way that he finally managed to bring this woman of Raphael's to come and stay with him on a constant basis in the section of the house where Raphael was working. And that was the reason why the work came to be finished. I thought that gave an interesting insight into Raphael. Incidentally, the mistress mentioned by Vasari was Margherita Luti. And x-ray analysis shows that Raphael originally painted this subject wearing a wedding ring, and he later painted it over. And the wedding ring was on her left hand, which fuelled speculation that the two of them, Raphael and Margherita, may have been secretly married, adding an intriguing layer to their romance. Some art historians believe that the painting was only ever intended as a private work and was never meant to be seen by the public, and it was still in his studio at the time of his death. I should mention, because it's such a well-known story, what's called the Passionate Night story, started by Vasari, who claimed that Raphael's death was caused by, quote, excessive amorous pleasures. However, recent research suggests his death was more likely due to a fever, possibly pneumonia, possibly exacerbated by improper medical treatment. Vasari wrote that when Raphael realised he was dying, he made his will, and first, like a good Christian, he sent his mistress out of the house, leaving her the means to live honourably. He requested to be buried in the Pantheon in Rome, and permission was granted by Pope Leo X, and in fact he was the first artist to be buried there. So, as I said, he was born in Urbino. His father was an artist. He became a master painter by the age of 17. He worked first in Florence, and then he was called to Rome and worked in Rome on many commissions, private patrons, churches, and the Vatican. He was known for his ability to create beauty, both of composition, of form, and of colour, and the 19th century regarded him as the leading artist of the High Renaissance. He was a passionate person, as we've seen, much like had many friends and died in 1520, aged just 37. So, thank you for your attention again, and I hope you'll join me as I go through the history of Western art. Goodbye for now.