| ---painters--- |
| famous paintings |
| Van gogh, Renoir, Degas, Cezanne, Monet Gauguin, Hokusai, Bierstadt, Homer, Goya, Mark Raphael, Leonardo da vinci |
| Michel Angelo, Dutch master, Caravaggio, Caillebotte, Vaneyck, Whistler, Cassatt, Botticelli Seurat, David, Turner |
| Raphael was born on Good Friday April 6, 1483 in a place called Urbino in Italy. His name was Raffaello Santi or Raffallo Sanziol. But he is popularly known as Raphael, the Italian painter. He was the architect of the high Renaissance. His paintings and art influenced many painters of his time and later. The unique thing about his art was that he could bring life to his subjects. His paintings conveyed an idea. He brought a new dimension to the way people thought and looked at art. Different forms of the Holy Madonna were painted with great detail and emotion. But unfortunately Raffael died at a young age and this was a great loss to the art world. His full name was Raffaello Sanzi or Santi. Giovanni Santi, a painter of the 16th century was his father. His mother, Magia di Battista Ciarla died when he was quite young. Raffael's father was a man of culture and was in touch with modern artistic ideas of his time. Though not very famous as a painter, he was quite competent in this field. He introduced the concept of humanistic philosophy at the court to his son. He taught him the basics of painting before his death in 1494 when Raphael was just 11 years old. Apprenticeship at Perugia Right at an early age in 1495 his father recognized his talent and apprenticed him under the well known Perugino (1445-1523, another highly-regarded Renaissance painter. By 1500 Raphael was already considered a master and was commissioned to paint an altarpiece to be completed by 1502. It was quite evident that Perugino's style had influenced Rafael's paintings and his painted were often misunderstood as Perugino's. His works were an example of perfection, accurateness and style. Raffael learnt the art of bringing emotion and expression to the portraits he drew. He painted pictures using oil in wood. Raphael learnt the play of light and shade that made paintings more meaningful and complete. The numerous Madonnas that he painted were an example of the inner maturity and clarity of thought that he had developed. This maturity could be reflected through his paintings. Raphael also made a number of easel paintings. In 1514 he was made chief architect of Saint Peter's Basilica. In 1504, Raphael moved to Florence. Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Fra Bartolommeo were the artists of his time. He studied their works for a long time which helped to shape his artistic talent.He has to his credit a series of Maddonnas, that have won him huge acclaim throughout the world for ages. These were Madonna del Granduca (c.1505), Madonna of the Meadow (1505 or 1506), Madonna with the Goldfinch (c.1506), La Belle Jardiniere (1507 or 1508).Many of his portraits were Portrait of Agnolo Doni (c.1506), Portrait of Maddalena Doni (c.1506), Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn (1505-1506), Portrait of a Pregnant Woman (c. 1506). Leonardo's who was the dominating force behind his creations influenced him. St. George and the Dragon (c.1505-1506), Entombment (1507), St. Catherine (c. 1508) and Madonna with the Baldachino (1507-1508) were other creations during his Florentine period. Soon Raphael earned immense reputation and respect in the eyes of great art lovers of the time and he was summoned by Pope Julius II in 1508. Raphael was commissioned by him to execute some frescoes for his private rooms at the Vatican Palace in Rome. It was a time when famous painters were commissioned to paint fresco's in big Chapels. Raphael produced some of the most beautiful frescos in these apartments called the Stanza della Segnatura (1509-1511). Theology, Philosophy, Justice, Poetry, Religion, Spirituality etc were the subjects on which fresco were created. The walls of the first room are decorated with scenes on these topics which appear on the ceiling. Raphael made a series of Madonnas - the Madonna and Christ Child, Madonna della Tenda (c. 1512-1514), Madonna della Sedia (The Seated Madonna, 1512-1514), and the most famous of all, The Sistine Madonna (c.1513-1514). The 'Madonna della Seggiola' (or The Seated Madonna, 1514) is a fine example of his ingenuity. He gave a motherly expression to it. He based the composition of his 'Madonna of the Pinks' on Leonardo's 'Benois Madonna'. These Madonnas have captured the hearts of many good art lovers for times to come. He also made few portraits like the Portrait of a Cardinal (1510-1511), Portrait of Tommaso Inghirami (c.1511), Portrait of Pope Julius II (c.1512), Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione (c.1514-1516), La Donna Velata (c. 1514-1516), and Joanna of Aragon (1518). In 1515 he was appointed director of all excavations of antiquities in Rome. Cartoons were also painted during that time. Out of the 10 cartoons created by him 7 have survived and are now in Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ordered by Leo X for the Sistine Chapel,The tapestries themselves were woven by Pieter van Aelst and are now in the Vatican Museums. These cartoons were created for the tapestries, ordered by Leo X for the Sistine Chapel London. The tapestries themselves were woven by Pieter van Aelst and are now in the Vatican Museums. Raphael was a multi-talented man. His first architectural work was designing the church of Sant' Eligio degli Orefici. A banker Agostino Chigi, whose Villa Farnesina Raphael had already decorated, commissioned him to design and decorate his funerary chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo. In 1514 Leo X chose him to work on the basilica of St Peter's alongside Bramante. Raphael assumed the direction of the work, transforming the plans of the church from a Greek, or radial, to a Latin, or longitudinal, design. His last painting was The Transfiguration (1519-1520, Vatican), commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici. Raphael died at an early age. He was found dead in his studio. He died in Rome on April 6, 1520 at the age of 37 years. |
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| Museum Ceiling at St. Petersburg, Russia . |
| Self Portrait, Raphael |
| Detail of Virgin and child |
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| Fresco painting shows Madonna of the goldfinch created by Raphael in 1506 |
| Images expand on clicking |
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| Fresco details of Cupid and Psyche copied from fresco of two graces painted by Raphael. |
| Biography of Raphael |
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| We included the famous paintings of Rapheal. Watch video of paintings by world's famous painters. Video and slideshow of their famous paintings can be seen and downloaded free. Video clips |