Although he grew up in Urbino, an important artistic center at the time when his father had a workshop, Raphael trained with Pérugrin (Italian painter) in Perugia before becoming workshop manager. From then on he produced his first altarpieces, including The Marriage of the Virgin (1504).
Arrived in Florence the same year, he refined his art with masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Fra Bartolomeo. On the recommendation of the architect Bramante, he joined the court of Rome in the service of Pope Julius II in 1508 to decorate the rooms of the Vatican. He takes care of the rooms of the Signature and Heliodore, then leaves the execution of the other decorations to his students. Under Leo X, he took over Bramante in 1513 and directed several prestigious projects, including that of Saint Peter's Basilica. In addition, he produced the cartoons for the Acts of the Apostles tapestries. which are then placed in the Sistine Chapel, while continuing to paint portraits and altarpieces.
From 1517 to 1520, he painted his emblematic painting The Transfiguration , considered the culmination of his art – thanks to the precision of the drawing, the harmony of the lines, the delicacy of the colors – whose influence on Western painting continued until the end of the 19 e century. Raphaël died at the age of thirty-seven, as a result of malaria.
1483 - 1520
Status
Painter
Designer
Architect