What is Raphael famous for? The stanzas are masterpieces not only in terms of the plastic design of the figures, the characteristics of the images, and the color

Raphael is an artist who had a monumental influence on the way art developed. Raphael Santi is deservedly considered one of the three great masters of the Italian High Renaissance.

Introduction

The author of incredibly harmonious and serene paintings, he received recognition from his contemporaries thanks to his images of Madonnas and monumental frescoes in the Vatican Palace. The biography of Rafael Santi, as well as his work, is divided into three main periods.

Over the 37 years of his life, the artist created some of the most beautiful and influential compositions in the history of painting. Raphael's compositions are considered ideal, his figures and faces are considered flawless. In the history of art, he appears as the only artist who managed to achieve perfection.

Brief biography of Rafael Santi

Rafael was born in Italian city Urbino in 1483. His father was an artist, but died when the boy was only 11 years old. After the death of his father, Raphael became an apprentice in Perugino's workshop. In his first works one can feel the influence of the master, but by the end of his studies the young artist began to find his own style.

In 1504, the young artist Raphael Santi moved to Florence, where he was deeply admired by the style and technique of Leonardo da Vinci. In the cultural capital he began creating a series of beautiful Madonnas; It was there that he received his first orders. In Florence, the young master met da Vinci and Michelangelo - masters who had the most strong influence based on the work of Rafael Santi. Raphael also owes the acquaintance of his close friend and mentor Donato Bramante to Florence. The biography of Raphael Santi during his Florentine period is incomplete and confusing - judging by historical data, the artist did not live in Florence at that time, but often came there.

Four years spent under the influence of Florentine art helped him achieve individual style And unique technology painting. Upon arrival in Rome, Raphael immediately became an artist at the Vatican court and, at the personal request of Pope Julius II, worked on frescoes for the papal study (Stanza della Segnatura). The young master continued painting several other rooms, which today are known as “Raphael’s rooms” (Stanze di Raffaello). After Bramante's death, Raphael was appointed chief architect of the Vatican and continued the construction of St. Peter's Basilica.

Works of Raphael

The compositions created by the artist are famous for their grace, harmony, smooth lines and perfection of forms, which can only be rivaled by the paintings of Leonardo and the works of Michelangelo. It’s not for nothing that these great masters make up the “unattainable trinity” High Renaissance.

Rafael was an extremely dynamic and active person, therefore, despite short life, the artist left behind a rich heritage consisting of works of monumental and easel painting, graphic works and architectural achievements.

During his lifetime, Raphael was a very influential figure in culture and art, his works were considered the standard of artistic excellence, but after Santi's untimely death, attention turned to the work of Michelangelo, and until the 18th century, Raphael's legacy remained in relative oblivion.

The work and biography of Raphael Santi are divided into three periods, the main and most influential of which are the four years the artist spent in Florence (1504-1508) and the rest of the master’s life (Rome 1508-1520).

Florentine period

From 1504 to 1508 Raphael led nomadic image life. He never stayed in Florence for a long time, but despite this, four years of Raphael’s life, and especially his work, are usually called the Florentine period. Much more developed and dynamic, the art of Florence had a profound influence on the young artist.

The transition from the influence of the Perugian school to a more dynamic and individual style is noticeable in one of the first works Florentine period- “The Three Graces.” Rafael Santi managed to assimilate new trends while remaining true to his individual style. Monumental painting also changed, as evidenced by the frescoes of 1505. The wall paintings show the influence of Fra Bartolomeo.

However, the influence of da Vinci on the work of Rafael Santi is most clearly visible during this period. Raphael assimilated not only the elements of technique and composition (sfumato, pyramidal construction, contrapposto), which were innovations of Leonardo, but also borrowed some of the ideas of the master already recognized at that time. The beginning of this influence can be traced even in the painting “The Three Graces” - Rafael Santi uses a more dynamic composition in it than in his earlier works.

Roman period

In 1508, Raphael came to Rome and lived there until the end of his days. His friendship with Donato Bramante, the chief architect of the Vatican, ensured that he received a warm welcome at the court of Pope Julius II. Almost immediately after the move, Raphael began large-scale work on frescoes for the Stanza della Segnatura. The compositions decorating the walls of the papal office are still considered an ideal monumental painting. The frescoes, among which “The School of Athens” and “The Controversy over Communion” occupy a special place, provided Raphael with well-deserved recognition and an endless stream of orders.

In Rome, Raphael opened the largest workshop of the Renaissance - more than 50 students and assistants of the artist worked under the supervision of Santi, many of whom later became outstanding painters(Giulio Romano, Andrea Sabbatini), sculptors and architects (Lorenzetto).

The Roman period is also characterized by the architectural research of Raphael Santi. He was briefly one of the most influential architects in Rome. Unfortunately, few of the developed plans were implemented due to his untimely death and subsequent changes in the architecture of the city.

Madonnas by Raphael

During his rich career, Raphael created more than 30 paintings depicting Mary and the baby Jesus. Madonnas of Raphael Santi are divided into Florentine and Roman.

Florentine Madonnas are paintings created under the influence of Leonardo da Vinci depicting the young Mary and Child. John the Baptist is often depicted next to the Madonna and Jesus. Florentine Madonnas are characterized by calmness and maternal charm, Raphael does not use dark tones and dramatic landscapes, so the main focus of his paintings is the beautiful, modest and loving mothers depicted in them, as well as the perfection of forms and harmony of lines.

Roman Madonnas are paintings in which, apart from Raphael’s individual style and technique, no other influence can be traced. Another difference between Roman paintings is composition. While Florentine Madonnas are depicted at three-quarter length, Roman ones are often painted at full length. The main work of this series is the magnificent "Sistine Madonna", which is called "perfection" and is compared to a musical symphony.

Stanzas of Raphael

The monumental paintings decorating the walls of the Papal Palace (and now the Vatican Museum) are considered greatest works Raphael. It’s hard to believe that the artist completed work on Stanza della Segnatura in three and a half years. The frescoes, including the magnificent “School of Athens,” are painted in extremely detailed and high quality. Judging by the drawings and preparatory sketches, working on them was an incredibly labor-intensive process, which once again testifies to Raphael’s hard work and artistic talent.

Four frescoes from the Stanza della Segnatura depict the four spheres of human spiritual life: philosophy, theology, poetry and justice - the compositions “The School of Athens”, “The Controversy over Communion”, “Parnassus” and “Wisdom, Moderation and Strength” (“Secular Virtues”) .

Raphael received an order to paint two other rooms: Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo and Stanza d'Eliodoro. The first contains frescoes with compositions describing the history of the papacy, and the second contains the divine patronage of the church.

Rafael Santi: portraits

The portrait genre in Raphael's work does not occupy such a prominent role as religious and even mythological or historical painting. The artist's early portraits are technically behind his other paintings, but subsequent development of technique and study human forms allowed Raphael to create realistic portraits, imbued with the serenity and clarity characteristic of the artist.

The portrait of Pope Julius II painted by him is to this day an example to follow and an object of aspiration for young artists. The harmony and balance of technical execution and emotional load of the painting create a unique and deep impression that only Rafael Santi could achieve. A photo today is not capable of what the portrait of Pope Julius II achieved in its time - people who saw it for the first time were frightened and cried, Raphael was so perfectly able to convey not only the face, but also the mood and character of the subject of the image.

Another influential portrait by Raphael is the Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, which was copied by Rubens and Rembrandt in their time.

Architecture

Raphael's architectural style was predictably influenced by Bramante, which is why Raphael's short period as chief architect of the Vatican and one of the most influential architects in Rome was so important in preserving the stylistic unity of the buildings.

Unfortunately, few of the great master's building plans exist to this day: some of Raphael's plans were not carried out due to his death, and some of the already built projects were either demolished or moved and remodeled.

Raphael's hand belongs to the plan of the Vatican courtyard and the painted loggias facing it, as well as the round church of Sant' Eligio degli Orefici and one of the chapels in the church of St. Maria del Poppolo.

Graphic works

The painting of Rafael Santi is not the only type of fine art in which the artist achieved perfection. More recently, one of his drawings (“Head of a Young Prophet”) was sold at auction for 29 million pounds, becoming the most expensive drawing in the history of art.

To date, there are about 400 drawings, belonging to the hand Raphael. Most of them are sketches for paintings, however, there are also those that can easily be considered separate, independent works.

Among Raphael's graphic works there are several compositions created in collaboration with Marcantonio Raimondi, who created many engravings based on the drawings of the great master.

Artistic heritage

Today, such a concept as the harmony of shapes and colors in painting is synonymous with the name Raphael Santi. The Renaissance acquired a unique artistic vision and almost perfect execution in the work of this remarkable master.

Raphael left his descendants an artistic and ideological legacy. It is so rich and diverse that it is hard to believe it, looking at how short its life was. Rafael Santi, despite the fact that his work was temporarily covered by a wave of Mannerism and then Baroque, remains one of the most influential artists in the history of world art.

Date of birth: March 28, 1483
Date of death: April 6, 1520
Place of birth: Urbino, Italy

Rafael (Rafael Santi) (1483-1520) – famous painter Renaissance, Rafael Santi- architect.

Raphael was born on March 28, 1483 in Italy in the city of Urbino in the family of the poet and artist Giovanni Santi. The future artist begins learning lessons in painting and creativity from his father.

After the death of his father at the age of 17, Raphael moved to Perugia and entered the studio of the artist P. Perugino. where he continued artistic development. Already during this period, the first works of Raphael appeared with general character religious dreaminess inherent in the Urbian school.

Florentine period

After 2 years, the young man moved to Florence, where such famous Renaissance artists as Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolomeo worked. Florence itself was able to have a strong influence on the development of Raphael's artistic taste. Choosing the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolomeo as a standard to follow.

Thus, in Raphael’s images of the Florentine period, we can find both the correct transfer of emotional movements, and the subtlety of the play of colors that are so inherent in the work of Leonardo da Vinci, as well as the depth of impression, the ability to arrange groups and reflect reverent degeneration, which was taken from the works of Fra Bartolomeo. A natural sense of proportion allowed Raphael to take from other people's creativity only what was close and useful to him.

It was in Florence that Raphael had to study medicine and anatomy, without knowledge of which the artist of that time could not correctly reflect the human body.

The paintings “The Three Graces”, “The Dream of a Knight”, “Christ Blessing”, “St. Catherine of Alexandria” belong to the Florentine period of Raphael’s work.

The time of Raphael's residence in Florence is considered to be the time of the Madonnas. He was the only one at that time to portray Madonna as a young and tender mother. The following were written: “Madonna of the House of Tempi”, “Madonna of the House of Colonna”, “Madonna del Baldachino”, “Madonna of the Goldfinch”, “Madonna of the Greens”, “Madonna of Granduca”. The Duke of Tuscany liked the latter so much that having acquired it, he never parted with it.

Roman period

The images of the Madonna made Raphael so famous that as a result, the Pope himself invited Raphael to Rome to participate with other artists in painting the state rooms of the Vatican Palace. But Pope Julius II, appreciating Raphael’s frescoes, expelled other artists, entrusting Raphael alone to paint all the halls.

The unusual tasks set before Raphael, the proximity of his idol Michelangelo, who at that time began decorating the Sistine Chapel with frescoes, gave rise to a competitive streak in Raphael, and classical architecture, most developed at that time in Rome, gave his works a divine reflection and clarity for the artistic idea.

In the Stanza della Segnatura, in 3 rooms, Raphael painted a fresco on the entire volume of each wall, but moved away from the images of saints, depicting scenes from ancient culture: The frescoes were painted: “Theology”, “Poetry”, “Justice” and “The School of Athens” their figures seem to float on the ceiling and become the center for the images on the walls.

Below the figure of Theology is the Dispute about the Holy Eucharist, this dispute takes place both in heaven (Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, apostles, prophets, martyrs are depicted) and on earth (the church fathers and growing believers are gathered around the altar) and in the middle there are mediators - the 4 Gospels brought by angels.

In the fresco "Poetry" existing and ancient poets were placed under its personification "Parnassus". On the fresco “Justice” above the window there are figures of strength, moderation and prudence, and on the sides the Emperor and the Pope, as the personification of justice. In The School of Athens, Raphael depicted the Greek philosophers Socrates and Heraclitus among their students, especially highlighting the images of the realist Aristotle and the idealist Plato looking into the sky.

At the same time, the artist created portraits of his contemporaries: Popes Julius II and Leo X, which were painted in such a lively manner that contemporaries were afraid to look at them. He also did not leave the image of Madonnas; the “Madonna with the Veil”, “Madonna of the House of Alba”, and the most famous “Sistine Madonna” belong to this period. Raphael, restoring the paintings of ancient temples in which he participated in excavations, introduced some motifs into his paintings.

Since 1515, Raphael was constantly at work, the Pope appointed Raphael as his chamberlain and knight of the golden spur. Raphael made friends with many representatives of high Roman society and a crowd of students always gathered around him, hanging on every word.

Raphael would have been versatile in his creativity: according to his plans, several churches, villas, and palaces were erected. He made sketches for sculptors and even sculpted himself: for example, Raphael’s hand belongs to the marble statue of a child on a dolphin, currently in the Hermitage.

After Michelangelo's death, Raphael used his extensive knowledge and continued the work begun by Michelangelo on St. Peter's Basilica.

Despite the instructions of Pope Leo X, Raphael did not change the project chosen by Michelangelo and drafted 2 colonnades around the cathedral, in which he wanted to reflect all the monumentality ancient Rome, but did not have time due to death. His work was completed later by the architect L. Bernini.

Raphael was the founder of portraiture for the next few centuries, because... For him, the person himself was important, as something unusual, which he tried to emphasize. The artist knew how to reflect both the greed of popes and the extraordinary beauty of madonnas.

April 6, 1520 Raphael dies at the age of 37 from consumption, common in those days, without completing St. Peter's Cathedral.

Achievements of Rafael Santi:

1225 – the number of works created by Raphael.
From under his brush came such works as “The Sistine Madonna”, “Carrying the Cross”, “The Triumph of Galatea”, “The Three Graces”.
He was engaged in decorating the Vatican with frescoes in the style of ancient culture: “Theology”, “Philosophy”, “Jurisprudence” and “Poetry”.

Dates from the biography of Rafael Santi:

March 28, 1483 born in Italy
1494 learning painting from the Umbrian artist P. Perugino
1504 the beginning of the Florentine period in creativity, studying with Fra Bartolomeo and Leonardo da Vinci.
1508 was called to Rome to decorate several halls of the Vatican.
1514 appointed chief overseer of the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral.
On April 6, 1520 he died without finishing the construction.

Interesting facts about Rafael Santi:

Thanks to Raphael's peaceful nature, there was always no room for quarrels and squabbles around him.
Skillfully combining generalization with specific realism, his images of divine babies are always allegorical.
He is the author of sketches called "Raphael's Bible", sketches written on subjects of the Old and New Testaments and which were to decorate the Vatican loggias.

Raphael (actually Raffaello Santi or Sanzio, Raffaello Santi, Sanzio) (March 26 or 28, 1483, Urbino - April 6, 1520, Rome), Italian painter and architect.

Raphael, the son of the painter Giovanni Santi, spent his early years in Urbino. In 1500-1504, Raphael, according to Vasari, studied with the artist Perugino in Perugia.

From 1504, Raphael worked in Florence, where he became acquainted with the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Fra Bartolommeo, and studied anatomy and scientific perspective.
Moving to Florence played a huge role in Raphael's creative development. Of primary importance for the artist was familiarity with the method of the great Leonardo da Vinci.
Following Leonardo, Raphael begins to work a lot from life, studying anatomy, mechanics of movements, complex poses and angles, looking for compact, rhythmically balanced compositional formulas.
The numerous images of Madonnas he created in Florence brought the young artist all-Italian fame.
Raphael received an invitation from Pope Julius II to Rome, where he was able to become more familiar with ancient monuments and took part in archaeological excavations. Having moved to Rome, the 26-year-old master received the position of “artist of the Apostolic See” and the assignment to paint the state rooms of the Vatican Palace, from 1514 he directed the construction of St. Peter’s Cathedral, worked in the field of church and palace architecture, in 1515 he was appointed Commissioner of Antiquities, responsible for the study and protection of ancient monuments, archaeological excavations. Fulfilling the pope's order, Raphael created murals in the halls of the Vatican, glorifying the ideals of freedom and earthly happiness of man, the limitlessness of his physical and spiritual capabilities.

The painting “Madonna Conestabile” by Rafael Santi was created by the artist at the age of twenty.

In this painting, the young artist Raphael created his first remarkable embodiment of the image of the Madonna, which occupied an extremely important place in his art. The image of a young beautiful mother, generally so popular in Renaissance art, is especially close to Raphael, whose talent had a lot of softness and lyricism.

Unlike the masters of the 15th century, new qualities emerged in the paintings of the young artist Raphael Santi, when a harmonious compositional structure does not constrain the images, but, on the contrary, is perceived as a necessary condition for the feeling of naturalness and freedom that they generate.

Holy family 1507-1508. Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

Painting by artist Raphael Santi “The Holy Family” by Canigiani.

The customer of the work is Domenico Canigianini from Florence. In the painting "Holy Family" great painter Renaissance era Raphael Santi depicted in the classical key of biblical history - the holy family - the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus Christ along with St. Elizabeth and the baby John the Baptist.

However, only in Rome did Raphael overcome the dryness and some stiffness of his early portraits. It was in Rome that Raphael's brilliant talent as a portrait painter reached maturity.

In Raphael's "Madonnas" of the Roman period, his idyllic mood early works is replaced by the recreation of deeper human, maternal feelings, as Mary, full of dignity and spiritual purity, appears as the intercessor of humanity in the very famous work Raphael - “Sistine Madonna”.

The painting “The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael Santi was originally created by the great painter as an altar image for the church of San Sisto (St. Sixtus) in Piacenza.

In the painting, the artist depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, Pope Sixtus II and Saint Barbara. The painting “The Sistine Madonna” is one of the most famous works of world art.

How was the image of the Madonna created? Was there a real prototype for it? In this regard, with Dresden painting There are a number of ancient legends associated with it. Researchers find similarities in the Madonna's facial features with the model of one of Raphael's female portraits - the so-called “Lady in the Veil”. But in resolving this issue, first of all, one should take into account famous saying Raphael himself from a letter to his friend Baldassare Castiglione that in creating the image of a perfect female beauty he is guided by a certain idea, which arises on the basis of many impressions from the beauties the artist saw in life. In other words, the basis of the creative method of the painter Rafael Santi is the selection and synthesis of observations of reality.

In the last years of his life, Raphael was so overloaded with orders that he entrusted the execution of many of them to his students and assistants (Giulio Romano, Giovanni da Udine, Perino del Vaga, Francesco Penni and others), usually limiting himself to general supervision of the works.

Raphael had a huge influence on the subsequent development of Italian and European painting, becoming, along with the masters of antiquity, supreme example artistic perfection. The art of Raphael, which had a huge influence on European painting The 16th-19th and, partly, 20th centuries, for centuries, retained the meaning of indisputable artistic authority and example for artists and viewers.

In the last years of his creativity, based on the artist’s drawings, his students created huge cardboards on biblical themes with episodes from the life of the apostles. Based on these cardboards, Brussels masters were supposed to create monumental tapestries that were intended to decorate the Sistine Chapel on holidays.

Paintings by Rafael Santi

The painting “Angel” by Raphael Santi was created by the artist at the age of 17-18 at the very beginning of the 16th century.

This magnificent early work by the young artist is part or fragment of the Baroncha altarpiece, damaged by the 1789 earthquake. The altar “Coronation of Blessed Nicholas of Tolentino, conqueror of Satan” was commissioned by Andrea Baronci for his home chapel in the church of San Agostinho in Citta de Castello. In addition to the fragment of the painting “Angel”, three more parts of the altar have been preserved: “The Most High Creator” and “The Blessed Virgin Mary” in the Capodimonte Museum (Naples) and another fragment “Angel” in the Louvre (Paris).

The painting “Madonna Granduca” was painted by the artist Rafael Santi after moving to Florence.

The numerous images of Madonnas created by the young artist in Florence (“Madonna of Granduca”, “Madonna of the Goldfinch”, “Madonna of the Greens”, “Madonna with the Child Christ and John the Baptist” or “The Beautiful Gardener” and others) brought Raphael Santi all-Italian fame.

The painting “The Dream of a Knight” was painted by the artist Rafael Santi in the early years of his work.

The painting is from Borghese’s legacy, probably paired with another work by the artist, “The Three Graces.” These paintings - "The Knight's Dream" and "The Three Graces" - are almost miniature in composition size.

The theme of “The Knight’s Dream” is a kind of refraction ancient myth about Hercules at the crossroads between the allegorical embodiments of Valor and Pleasure. Near the young knight, depicted sleeping against the backdrop of a beautiful landscape, stand two young women. One of them, in formal attire, offers him a sword and a book, the other a branch with flowers.

In the painting “The Three Graces” the very compositional motif of three naked female figures is apparently borrowed from an antique cameo. And although there is still a lot of uncertainty in these works of the artist (“The Three Graces” and “The Dream of a Knight”), they attract with their naive charm and poetic purity. Already here some features inherent in Raphael’s talent were revealed - the poetry of images, a sense of rhythm and the soft melodiousness of lines.

The altarpiece “Madonna of Ansidei” by Raphael Santi was painted by the artist in Florence; to the young painter not yet 25 years old.

Unicorn, a mythical animal with the body of a bull, horse or goat and one long straight horn on its forehead.

The unicorn is a symbol of purity and virginity. According to legend, only an innocent girl can tame the ferocious unicorn. The painting “Lady with a Unicorn” was painted by Rafael Santi based on a mythological plot popular during the Renaissance and mannerism, which many artists used in their paintings.

The painting “Lady with a Unicorn” was badly damaged in the past, but has now been partially restored.

Painting by Raphael Santi “Madonna in Greenery” or “Mary and Child with John the Baptist”.

In Florence, Raphael created the Madonna cycle, indicating the onset of a new stage in his work. Belonging to the most famous of them, “Madonna of the Greens” (Vienna, Museum), “Madonna with the Goldfinch” (Uffizi) and “Madonna of the Gardener” (Louvre) represent a kind of variants of a common motif - the image of a young beautiful mother with the child Christ and little John the Baptist against the backdrop of a landscape. These are also variants of one theme - the theme mother's love, bright and serene.

Altarpiece painting "Madonna di Foligno" by Raphael Santi.

In the 1510s, Raphael worked a lot in the field of altar composition. A number of his works of this kind, among which should be called the Madonna di Foligno, lead us to greatest creation his easel painting - “The Sistine Madonna”. This painting was created in 1515-1519 for the Church of St. Sixtus in Piacenza and is now in the Dresden Art Gallery.

The painting "Madonna di Foligno" in its own way compositional construction similar to the famous “Sistine Madonna”, with the only difference that in the painting “Madonna di Foligno” there is more characters and the image of the Madonna is distinguished by a peculiar internal isolation - her gaze is occupied with her child - the infant Christ.

The painting “Madonna del Impannata” by Rafael Santi was created by the great painter almost at the same time as the famous “Sistine Madonna”.

In the painting, the artist depicts the Virgin Mary with the children Christ and John the Baptist, Saint Elizabeth and Saint Catherine. The painting “Madonna del Impannata” testifies to the further improvement of the artist’s style, to the complication of images in comparison with the soft lyrical images of his Florentine Madonnas.

The mid-1510s were the time of Raphael's best portrait work.

Castiglione, Count Baldassare (Castiglione; 1478-1526) - Italian diplomat and writer. Born near Mantua, he served at various Italian courts, was an ambassador for the Duke of Urbino in the 1500s for Henry VII of England, and from 1507 in France for King Louis XII. In 1525, already at a fairly advanced age, he was sent by the papal nuncio to Spain.

In this portrait, Raphael showed himself to be an outstanding colorist, able to sense color in its complex shades and tonal transitions. The portrait of the Lady in the Veil differs from the portrait of Baldassare Castiglione in its remarkable coloristic qualities.

Researchers of the artist Raphael Santi and historians of Renaissance painting find models of this in the features portrait of a woman Raphael's resemblance to the face of the Virgin Mary in his famous painting "The Sistine Madonna".

Joan of Aragon 1518 Louvre Museum, Paris.

The customer of the painting is Cardinal Bibbiena, writer and secretary to Pope Leo X; the painting was intended as a gift to the French king Francis I. The portrait was only begun by the artist, and it is not known for certain which of his students (Giulio Romano, Francesco Penni or Perino del Vaga) completed it.

Joanna of Aragon (? -1577) - daughter of the Neapolitan king Federigo (later deposed), wife of Ascanio, Prince Taliacosso, famous for her beauty.

The extraordinary beauty of Joan of Aragon was glorified by contemporary poets in a number of poetic dedications, the collection of which comprised an entire volume, published in Venice

The artist’s painting depicts a classic version of the biblical chapter from the Revelation of John the Theologian or the Apocalypse.
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought against them, but they did not stand, and there was no longer a place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him...”

Frescoes by Raphael

The fresco by artist Raphael Santi “Adam and Eve” also has another name - “The Fall”.

The size of the fresco is 120 x 105 cm. Raphael painted the fresco “Adam and Eve” on the ceiling of the pontiff’s chambers.

The fresco by artist Raphael Santi “The School of Athens” also has another name - “Philosophical Conversations”. The size of the fresco, the length of the base is 770 cm. After moving to Rome in 1508, Raphael was entrusted with painting the pope's apartments - the so-called stanzas (that is, rooms), which include three rooms on the second floor of the Vatican Palace and the adjacent hall. The general ideological program of the fresco cycles in the stanzas, as conceived by the customers, was supposed to serve the glorification of authority catholic church and its head - the Roman high priest.

Along with allegorical and biblical images Some frescoes depict episodes from the history of the papacy; portrait images of Julius II and his successor Leo X are included in some compositions.

The customer of the painting “The Triumph of Galatea” is Agostino Chigi, a banker from Siena; The fresco was painted by the artist in the banquet hall of the villa.

Raphael Santi's fresco "The Triumph of Galatea" depicts the beautiful Galatea swiftly moving through the waves on a shell drawn by dolphins, surrounded by newts and naiads.

In one of the first frescoes executed by Raphael, the “Disputation,” which depicts a conversation about the sacrament of communion, cult motifs were most prominent. The symbol of communion itself - the host (wafer) - is installed on the altar in the center of the composition. The action takes place on two planes - on earth and in heaven. Below, on a stepped dais, the church fathers, popes, prelates, clergy, elders and youths were located on both sides of the altar.

Among other participants here you can recognize Dante, Savonarola, and the pious monk-painter Fra Beato Angelico. Above the entire mass of figures in the lower part of the fresco, like a heavenly vision, the personification of the Trinity appears: God the Father, below him, in a halo of golden rays, is Christ with the Mother of God and John the Baptist, even lower, as if marking the geometric center of the fresco, is a dove in sphere, a symbol of the holy spirit, and on the sides the apostles are seated on soaring clouds. And all this huge number of figures, with such a complex compositional design, is distributed with such skill that the fresco leaves an impression of amazing clarity and beauty.

Prophet Isaiah 1511-1512. San Agostinho, Rome.

Raphael's fresco depicts the great biblical prophet of the Old Testament at the moment of revelation of the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah (9th century BC), Hebrew prophet, zealous champion of the religion of Yahweh and denouncer of idolatry. The biblical Book of the Prophet Isaiah bears his name.

One of the four great Old Testament prophets. For Christians, Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah (Immanuel; ch. 7, 9 - “...behold, a virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call his name Immanuel”) is of particular significance. The memory of the prophet is revered in Orthodox Church 9 (May 22), in Catholic - July 6.

Frescoes and latest paintings Raphael

Very strong impression produces the fresco “The Deliverance of the Apostle Peter from Prison,” which depicts the miraculous release of the Apostle Peter from prison by an angel (an allusion to the release of Pope Leo X from French captivity when he was papal legate).

On the ceiling lamps of the papal apartments - Stanza della Segnatura, Raphael painted the frescoes “The Fall”, “The Victory of Apollo over Marsyas”, “Astronomy” and a fresco on the famous Old Testament story “The Judgment of Solomon”.
It is difficult to find in the history of art any other artistic ensemble that would give the impression of such figurative richness in terms of ideological and visual-decorative design as Raphael’s Vatican stanzas. Walls covered with multi-figure frescoes, vaulted ceilings with rich gilded decor, with fresco and mosaic inserts, a beautifully patterned floor - all this could create the impression of overload, if not for the inherent overall plan Raphael Santi has a high degree of orderliness, which brings the necessary clarity and visibility to this complex artistic complex.

To recent years Throughout his life, Raphael paid great attention to monumental painting. One of the artist’s largest works was the painting of the Villa Farnesina, which belonged to the richest Roman banker Chigi.

In the early 1910s, Raphael painted the fresco “The Triumph of Galatea” in the main hall of this villa, which is one of his best works.

Myths about Princess Psyche tell about the desire human soul merge with love. For her indescribable beauty, people revered Psyche more than Aphrodite. According to one version, a jealous goddess sent her son, the deity of love Cupid, to arouse in the girl a passion for the ugliest of people, however, when he saw the beauty, the young man lost his head and forgot about his mother’s order. Having become the husband of Psyche, he did not allow her to look at him. She, burning with curiosity, lit a lamp at night and looked at her husband, not noticing a hot drop of oil falling on his skin, and Cupid disappeared. In the end, by the will of Zeus, the lovers united. Apuleius in Metamorphoses retells the myth of romantic story Cupid and Psyche; the wanderings of the human soul, eager to meet its love.

The painting depicts Fornarina, the lover of Rafael Santi, whose real name is Margherita Luti. Fornarina's real name was established by researcher Antonio Valeri, who discovered it in a manuscript from a Florentine library and in a list of nuns of a monastery, where the novice was identified as the widow of the artist Raphael.

Fornarina is the legendary lover and model of Raphael, whose real name is Margherita Luti. According to many Renaissance art critics and historians of the artist’s work, Fornarina is depicted on two famous paintings Rafael Santi - “Fornarina” and “The Veiled Lady”. It is also believed that Fornarina, in all likelihood, served as a model for creating the image of the Virgin Mary in the painting “The Sistine Madonna”, as well as some others female images Raphael.

Transfiguration of Christ 1519-1520. Pinacoteca Vatican, Rome.

The painting was originally created as an altar image cathedral in Narbonne, commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, Bishop of Narbonne. The contradictions of the last years of Raphael’s work were most reflected in the huge altar composition “The Transfiguration of Christ” - it was completed after Raphael’s death by Giulio Romano.

This picture is divided into two parts. The upper part shows the actual transformation - this more harmonious part of the picture was done by Raphael himself. Below are the apostles trying to heal a possessed boy

It was Raphael Santi’s altar painting “The Transfiguration of Christ” that became an indisputable model for academic painters for centuries.
Raphael died in 1520. His premature death was unexpected and made a deep impression on his contemporaries.

Rafael Santi deserves his place among greatest masters the era of the High Renaissance.

The idea of ​​the brightest and most sublime ideals of Renaissance humanism was most fully embodied in his work by Raphael Santi (1483–1520). A younger contemporary of Leonardo, who lived a short, extremely rich life, Raphael synthesized the achievements of his predecessors and created his ideal of a beautiful, harmoniously developed person surrounded by majestic architecture or landscape. Raphael was born in Urbino, in the family of a painter, who was his first teacher. Later he studied with Timoteo della Viti and Perugino, mastering the latter's style to perfection. From Perugino, Raphael adopted that smoothness of lines, that freedom of posing a figure in space, which became characteristic of his mature compositions. As a seventeen-year-old boy, he reveals true creative maturity, creating a series of images full of harmony and spiritual clarity.

Tender lyricism and subtle spirituality distinguish one of his early works - “Madonna Conestabile” (1502, St. Petersburg, Hermitage), an enlightened image of a young mother depicted against the backdrop of a transparent Umbrian landscape. The ability to freely arrange figures in space, to connect them with each other and with the environment is also manifested in the composition “The Betrothal of Mary” (1504, Milan, Brera Gallery). The spaciousness in the construction of the landscape, the harmony of architectural forms, the balance and integrity of all parts of the composition testify to the emergence of Raphael as a master of the High Renaissance.

Upon his arrival in Florence, Raphael easily absorbs the most important achievements of the artists of the Florentine school with its pronounced plastic beginning and wide scope of reality. The content of his art remains lyrical theme bright maternal love, to which he attaches special significance. She receives more mature expression in such works as “Madonna in the Greens” (1505, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), “Madonna with the Goldfinch” (Florence, Uffizi), “The Beautiful Gardener” (1507, Paris, Louvre). Essentially, they all vary the same type of composition, composed of the figures of Mary, the infant Christ and the Baptist, forming against a beautiful background rural landscape pyramidal groups in the spirit of those found earlier by Leonardo compositional techniques. The naturalness of movements, the soft plasticity of forms, the smoothness of melodious lines, the beauty of the ideal type of Madonna, the clarity and purity of landscape backgrounds help to reveal the sublime poetry of the figurative structure of these compositions.

In 1508, Raphael was invited to work in Rome, at the court of Pope Julius II, a powerful, ambitious and energetic man who sought to increase the artistic treasures of his capital and attract to his service the most talented cultural figures of that time. At the beginning of the 16th century, Rome inspired hopes for the national unification of the country. The ideals of a national order created the ground for creative growth, for the embodiment of advanced aspirations in art. Here, in close proximity to the heritage of antiquity, Raphael's talent blossoms and matures, acquiring a new scope and features of calm greatness.

Raphael receives an order to paint the state rooms (the so-called stanzas) of the Vatican Palace. This work, which continued intermittently from 1509 to 1517, promoted Raphael to be one of the greatest masters of Italian monumental art, who confidently solved the problem of synthesis of Renaissance architecture and painting. Raphael's gift as a monumentalist and decorator was revealed in all its splendor when painting the Stanzi della Segnatura (printing room). On the long walls of this room, covered with sail vaults, the compositions “Disputation” and “School of Athens” are placed, on the narrow walls - “Parnassus” and “Wisdom, Temperance and Strength”, personifying the four areas of human spiritual activity: theology, philosophy, poetry and jurisprudence . The vault, divided into four parts, is decorated with allegorical figures that form a single decorative system with wall paintings. Thus, the entire space of the room was filled with painting.

Combining images in paintings Christian religion and pagan mythology testified to the spread among humanists of that time of the ideas of reconciliation of the Christian religion with ancient culture and the unconditional victory of the secular principle over the church. Even in the “Disputation” (a dispute between the church fathers about communion), dedicated to the depiction of church figures, among the participants in the dispute, one can recognize the poets and artists of Italy - Dante, Fra Beato Angelico and other painters and writers. About the celebration humanistic ideas in Renaissance art, its connection with antiquity is evidenced by the composition “The School of Athens,” glorifying the mind of a beautiful and strong man, ancient science and philosophy. The painting is perceived as the embodiment of a dream of a bright future. From the depths of the enfilade of grandiose arched spans emerges a group of ancient thinkers, in the center of which is the majestic gray-bearded Plato and the confident, inspired Aristotle, with a hand gesture pointing to the ground, the founders of idealistic and materialistic philosophy. Below, on the left by the stairs, Pythagoras was bending over a book, surrounded by students, on the right was Euclid, and here, at the very edge, Raphael depicted himself next to the painter Sodoma. This is a young man with a gentle, attractive face. All the characters in the fresco are united by a mood of high spiritual uplift and deep thought. They form groups that are indissoluble in their integrity and harmony, where each character precisely takes its place and where the architecture itself, in its strict regularity and majesty, helps to recreate the atmosphere of a high rise of creative thought.

The fresco “The Expulsion of Eliodorus” in the Stanza d'Eliodoro stands out with intense drama. The suddenness of the miracle taking place - the expulsion of the temple robber by a heavenly horseman - is conveyed by the rapid diagonal of the main movement, the use of light effect. Among the spectators looking at the expulsion of Eliodorus, Pope Julius II is depicted. This is an allusion to Contemporary events for Raphael - the expulsion of French troops from the Papal States.

The Roman period of Raphael's work was marked by high achievements in the field of portraiture. The full-of-life characters of the "Mass in Bolsena" (frescoes in Stanza d'Eliodoro) acquire poignant portrait features. portrait genre Raphael also worked in easel painting, showing his originality here, revealing the most characteristic and significant in the model. He painted portraits of Pope Julius II (1511, Florence, Uffizi), Pope Leo X with Cardinal Ludovico dei Rossi and Giulio dei Medici (circa 1518, ibid.) and other portrait paintings. The image of the Madonna continues to occupy an important place in his art, acquiring features of great grandeur, monumentality, confidence, and strength. Such is the “Madonna della sedia” (“Madonna in the Armchair”, 1516, Florence, Pitti Gallery) with its harmonious, closed-in-a-circle composition.

At the same time, Raphael created his greatest creation, “The Sistine Madonna” (1515–1519, Dresden, Art Gallery), intended for the Church of St. Sixta in Piacenza. Unlike the earlier, lighter in mood, lyrical Madonnas, this is a majestic image, full of deep meaning. The curtains pulled apart from above to the sides reveal Mary easily walking through the clouds with a baby in her arms. Her gaze allows you to look into the world of her experiences. Seriously and sadly and anxiously, she looks somewhere into the distance, as if foreseeing the tragic fate of her son. To the left of the Madonna is Pope Sixtus, enthusiastically contemplating the miracle, to the right is Saint Barbara, reverently lowering her gaze. Below are two angels, looking up and as if returning us to the main image - the Madonna and her childishly thoughtful baby. Impeccable harmony and dynamic balance of the composition, the subtle rhythm of smooth linear outlines, naturalness and freedom of movement constitute the irresistible strength of this whole, beautiful image. Life's truth and ideal traits are combined with the spiritual purity of the complex tragic character of the Sistine Madonna. Some researchers found its prototype in the features of “The Veiled Lady” (circa 1513, Florence, Pitti Gallery), but Raphael himself wrote in a letter to his friend Castiglione that his creative method was based on the principle of selecting and generalizing life observations: “In order to to paint a beauty, I need to see many beauties, but due to the lack... of beautiful women, I use some idea that comes to my mind.” Thus, in reality, the artist finds features that correspond to his ideal, which rises above the random and transitory.

Raphael died at the age of thirty-seven, leaving unfinished the paintings of the Villa Farnesina, the Vatican loggias and a number of other works completed from cardboards and drawings by his students. Raphael's free, graceful, relaxed drawings put their creator among the world's largest draftsmen. His work in the field of architecture and applied arts testify to him as a multi-talented figure of the High Renaissance, who gained great fame among his contemporaries. The very name of Raphael later became a common noun for the ideal artist.

Numerous Italian students and Raphael’s followers elevated it to indisputable dogma creative method teachers, which contributed to the spread of imitation in Italian art and foreshadowed the emerging crisis of humanism.

Raphael Santi (1483-1520) is the greatest Italian artist, architect and graphic artist.

Childhood and adolescence

Raphael was born on March 14, 1483. This happened in eastern Italy in the small town of Urbino on the night of good friday. The child's father, Giovanni dei Santi, was engaged in poetry and painting; he was a gifted but undistinguished artist; he worked at the court of the Duke of Montefeltro.

The boy's mother, Margie Charla, died very early. Rafael was only 8 years old at the time. Less than three years passed when his father passed away in 1494. But Giovanni managed to direct the children in the right direction; his workshop had their first artistic experience Raphael also received it.

The boy was still very young when his father discovered his artistic talent and inclination for art and began to train his son in painting. And very soon he received an assistant in the person of young Raphael, the child was not even ten years old when he and his father painted pictures commissioned by the Urbino state. Raphael's very first work is considered to be the fresco "Madonna and Child", which he made together with his father.

Raphael's first independent works were paintings commissioned for the church:

• “A banner with the image of the Holy Trinity” (the canvas was written in 1499-1500);
• "Coronation of St. Nicholas of Tolentino" (Santi worked on this altar image in 1500-1501).

Study in Perugia

In 1501 Santi entered for further education painting in Perugia to the artist Pietro Perugino, who at that time occupied a leading position among Italian masters. The young student thoroughly studied the style of his teacher, and began to imitate it so decisively and accurately that soon copies of Raphael could not be distinguished from the original paintings of the famous Perugino.

With the utmost skill, Santi completed the work for Madame Magdalena degli Oddi (not with paint on canvas, but with oil on wood). Now this creation is in the Church of San Francesco in Perugia, it depicts the Mother of God, Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles around the tomb, contemplating a heavenly vision.

TO early works Raphael's paintings of that period also include:

• "Three Graces";
• "Archangel Michael Slaying Satan";
• "A Knight's Dream"
• "The Sermon of Saint John the Baptist."

While studying in Perugia, Raphael often came home to the Urbino town of Citta de Castella, where, together with Italian artist Pinturicchio did commissioned works.

In 1502, Santi painted his very first “Madonna Solly”, then he painted them until the end of his life.

By 1504, the artist had already developed a certain style, and his first significant works appeared:

• “Betrothal of the Virgin Mary to Joseph”;
• "Portrait of Pietro Bembo";
• "Madonna Conestabile";
• "Saint George Slaying the Dragon";
• "Coronation of Mary".

Florentine period of life

In 1504, Raphael left Perugia. He headed to Florence; this move played a huge role in the artist’s creative development. Here he began to carefully study the works of Bartolomeo della Porta, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and other Florentine painters. Santi thoroughly studied the mechanics and anatomy of human movements, complex angles and poses, and worked a lot with life.

His paintings from the Florentine period already showed the complex formulas of agitated and dramatic human movement that Michelangelo had previously developed.

In 1507, Santi wrote another masterpiece, “Entombment.”

Raphael's popularity began to grow, he received many orders for portraits and images of saints.

But main theme His Florentine paintings included the Madonna and Child, and he painted about 20 paintings. Despite the standard scenes, the Madonna holding a baby in her arms or playing next to her with John the Baptist, all images are absolutely individual. A special maternal tenderness is visible in these works. Most likely, it was due to the fact that Raphael’s mother died very early, such a loss was deeply reflected in the artist’s soul; he did not receive all the affection and kindness from the woman who gave him life.

The Madonnas depicted in his paintings led to Raphael's success and fame. He received a huge number of orders on similar topics, during this period Santi wrote his best works:

• "Madonna Granduca";
• "Madonna under the canopy";
• "The Beautiful Gardener" (or "Madonna and Child and John the Baptist");
• "Madonna Terranuova";
• "Madonna with Carnations";
• "Madonna with the Goldfinch."

Santi spent four years in Florence, during which time he achieved a unique technique in painting and individuality in style. Many of his works of this period are considered the most beautiful and ideal in the history of world painting; he painted impeccable figures and faces.

In Florence, Santi met and became friends with Donato Bramante, who later played a significant role in the artist’s life.

Vatican

In 1508, Santi left Florence, he went to Rome, where he lived all his remaining years.

Here, with the help of his friend Bramante, Raphael was hired to work at the papal court as an official artist. He began to paint frescoes and brilliantly painted the Stanza della Segnatura with multi-figure compositions. Pope Julius II was pleased with his work. Santi had not yet completed one stanza when the Pope entrusted him with the painting of three more; Moreover, the painters who had already begun to paint them (Perugino and Signorelli) were suspended from work.

There were a lot of orders, and Santi took students to help him. He made the sketches himself, and his students helped him in painting.

In 1513, Julius II was replaced by Leo X, he also appreciated Raphael’s abilities and entrusted him with making cardboards for the Sistine Chapel, where they would depict Bible stories. Leo X also commissioned the artist to create loggias that overlook the Vatican courtyard. Over the course of 5 years, these loggias of 13 arcades were built according to Santi’s ideas. Then the artist made sketches of Biblical scenes, and his students decorated the loggia with 52 frescoes.

In 1514, Raphael's friend and mentor Donato Bramante died. At this time, construction of St. Peter's Cathedral had just begun in Rome, and Santi was appointed to the position of chief architect. And a year later, in 1515, he was approved as the chief custodian of antiquities. It was Raphael, who succeeded the deceased Bramante, who completed the famous Vatican courtyard with loggias.

The workload in the Vatican was crazy, but at the same time Santi still managed to work on altar images on orders from churches. His painting “Transfiguration” is considered the most majestic and masterpiece.

Santi did not forget about his favorite topic - Madonna. During the time he lived in Rome, he created about 10 images:

• "Madonna in a Chair";
• "Madonna with the Fish";
• "Madonna Alba";
• "Madonna Foligno".

Here he created the pinnacle of his creativity - “ Sistine Madonna».

This painting is considered phenomenal, no one will ever be able to unravel the secret of the great artist, how he managed to combine all the shades, shapes and lines into a single whole, that when looking at this picture there is only one irresistible desire - to continuously look into the sad eyes of Mary .

Most of Raphael's paintings were painted in religious themes. But his work also included portraiture. The following were especially beautifully created:

• "Portrait of Pope Julius II";
• "Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione";
• "Portrait of Bindo Altoviti";
• "Portrait of Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi Rossi";
• "Portrait of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese."

Rafael himself last time captured in the painting “Self-Portrait with a Friend.”

A great lover of painting, the owner of the bank, Agostino Chigi, suggested that Santi decorate it with frescoes on the theme ancient mythology his residence outside the city, built on the banks of the Tiber. While working on this order, the artist created his own best work, which is called the most beautiful of the beautiful, is “The Triumph of Galatea.”

Raphael had a lot of students, however, none of them became an outstanding artist. Giulio Romano had the greatest talent, but his work was not appreciated by his contemporaries. Several paintings were painted by Giovanni Nanni. Perin del Vaga, who worked in Genoa and Florence, turned out to be a good artist. Francesco Penni had excellent potential, but he died very early.

Raphael's other talents

Santi proved himself to be no less a professional in architecture. The churches, chapels, and palazzos built according to his design were distinguished by their grace, rich façade plasticity, restrained noble forms and intimate interiors. Each palace he created had an individual, elegant appearance.

Santi was also involved in engravings and drawings. About 400 of his drawings have survived to this day. Raphael did not make the engravings themselves, but created sketches for them. Marcantonio Raimondi made many engravings based on his drawings. One of Santi's graphic works, entitled "Head of a Young Apostle", was sold at Sotheby's at the end of 2012 for a record sum of £29,721,250 (this figure was twice the starting price).

Raphael loved poetry very much, he even wrote a little poetry himself.

Personal life

The great artist’s beloved was his model Margherita Luti, who received the nickname Fornarina.

The girl can be seen in two of his paintings “Donna Velata” and “Fornarina”, and he painted her figure when painting stanzas with frescoes.

Fornarina's father was a baker, they lived in Rome. When young Rafael arrived here, he met Fornarina completely by chance and immediately fell in love. For 3,000 gold pieces, he bought the girl from her father and took her to a villa specially rented for her.

Until the artist's death, Fornarina was his model and main love throughout their lives, for almost 12 years, they lived together, although it cannot be said that the young woman remained faithful to her Raphael. When Santi was painting the villa for the banker Agostino Chigi, Fornarina began an affair with the owner. She was also often not averse to having fun with Raphael's students.

About this beautiful story painted a picture of love French artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, it’s called “Raphael and Fornarina”.

Accurate further fate Fornarina after Raphael's death is unknown. There are two versions. According to one, she received a decent fortune under a will, led a dissolute life and became the most famous courtesan in Rome. According to the second version, she was tonsured a nun, where she soon died.

Death of an Artist

It is not known for certain why Rafael Santi died. Some sources claim that he felt ill after stormy night in bed with Fornarina. Modern researchers of his life have suggested that the artist visited the excavations and fell ill with Roman fever, which led to his death.

Santi died on April 6, 1520, barely reaching the age of 37. His body was buried in the Pantheon, the tomb was made with the epitaph: "Here lies to rest great Raphael“During his life, nature was afraid of being defeated, and after his death, she was afraid of dying.”

There is a crater on the planet Mercury that is named after the great Italian Raphael Santi.