Raphael

Skira Mini ARTbooks is a pocket-sized series, conveniently priced, very practical and with lots of images dedicated to single international artists, artistic movements and painting genres. The genius of Italian painting, symbol of grace and beauty, is considered one of the greatest and most popular artists of all time. An introduction to the life of the artist, with his masterpieces.

Skira Mini ARTbooks is a pocket-sized series, conveniently priced, very practical and with lots of images dedicated to single international artists, artistic movements and painting genres. The genius of Italian painting, symbol of grace and beauty, is considered one of the greatest and most popular artists of all time. An introduction to the life of the artist, with his masterpieces.

In art history, we tend to be on first name terms only with the most revered of masters. The Renaissance painter and architect Raphael Santi (1483–1520) is one such star. The man we call simply Raphael has for centuries been hailed as a supreme Renaissance artist . For some, he even outstrips his equally famous, equally first-named, contemporaries, Leonardo and Michelangelo. From 1500 to 1508, Raphael worked throughout central Italy, particularly in Florence where he secured his reputation as a painter of portraits and beautifully rendered Madonnas, archetypical icons within the Catholic faith. In 1508 he was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II and later embarked on an ambitious mural scheme for the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican . Within this room, Raphael’s The School of Athens is considered a paradigm of the High Renaissance , merging Classical philosophy with perfected perspectival space, animated figures, and a composition of majestic balance. This essential introduction explores how in just two decades of work, Raphael painted his way to legendary greatness. With highlights from his prolific output, it presents the mastery of figures and forms that secured his place not only in the trinity of Renaissance luminaries but also among the most esteemed artists of all time.

An authoritative introduction to one of the most influential painters in the history of art, written by the pre-eminent authority on the subject and informed by the latest research. More versatile and less idiosyncratic than Michelangelo, more prolific and accessible than his mentor Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, though he died at only thirty-seven, is considered the single most influential artist of the Renaissance. Here, art historian Paul Joannides explores the different social and regional contexts of Raphael’s work and discusses all aspects of his artistic output. He traces Raphael’s career from his origins in Urbino, through his altarpieces made in Umbria in the shadow of Perugino, to the first flowering of his genius in Florence where he painted a series of iconic Madonnas that are among the most beloved images in Western art. Raphael’s employment by the dynamic and demanding Pope Julius II gave him opportunities without parallel and encouraged the full expansion of his genius. As a sophisticate entrepreneur, he dominated Rome’s artistic life and extended the range of his activities to that of architect, designer, pioneer archaeologist and theoretician. The foundation of Raphael’s versatility and range was his supreme clarity of mind as a draughtsman. Knowledge of his drawings, on which Joannides is a leading expert, is central to understanding of his achievement, and they are thoroughly explored here.

An authoritative introduction to one of the most influential painters in the history of art, written by the pre-eminent authority on the subject and informed by the latest research. More versatile and less idiosyncratic than Michelangelo, more prolific and accessible than his mentor Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, though he died at only thirty-seven, is considered the single most influential artist of the Renaissance. Here, art historian Paul Joannides explores the different social and regional contexts of Raphael’s work and discusses all aspects of his artistic output. He traces Raphael’s career from his origins in Urbino, through his altarpieces made in Umbria in the shadow of Perugino, to the first flowering of his genius in Florence where he painted a series of iconic Madonnas that are among the most beloved images in Western art. Raphael’s employment by the dynamic and demanding Pope Julius II gave him opportunities without parallel and encouraged the full expansion of his genius. As a sophisticate entrepreneur, he dominated Rome’s artistic life and extended the range of his activities to that of architect, designer, pioneer archaeologist and theoretician. The foundation of Raphael’s versatility and range was his supreme clarity of mind as a draughtsman. Knowledge of his drawings, on which Joannides is a leading expert, is central to understanding of his achievement, and they are thoroughly explored here.

In art history, we tend to be on first name terms only with the most revered of masters. The Renaissance painter and architect Raphael Santi (1483–1520) is one such star. The man we call simply Raphael has for centuries been hailed as a supreme Renaissance artist . For some, he even outstrips his equally famous, equally first-named, contemporaries, Leonardo and Michelangelo. From 1500 to 1508, Raphael worked throughout central Italy, particularly in Florence where he secured his reputation as a painter of portraits and beautifully rendered Madonnas, archetypical icons within the Catholic faith. In 1508 he was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II and later embarked on an ambitious mural scheme for the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican . Within this room, Raphael’s The School of Athens is considered a paradigm of the High Renaissance , merging Classical philosophy with perfected perspectival space, animated figures, and a composition of majestic balance. This essential introduction explores how in just two decades of work, Raphael painted his way to legendary greatness. With highlights from his prolific output, it presents the mastery of figures and forms that secured his place not only in the trinity of Renaissance luminaries but also among the most esteemed artists of all time.

A definitive overview of one of the most celebrated figures of the Italian Renaissance Among the great figures of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael (1483–1520) is unarguably the artist who has been most widely and consistently admired across the centuries. He had an extraordinary and perhaps unrivaled capacity for self-reinvention—as he progressed from Umbria to Florence and Rome—and an ability to draw strength from the other great artists around him, seemingly growing in stature the more daunting the competition became. This insightful, impeccably researched, and comprehensive volume chronicles the progress of his career in all its richness and complexity. Sumptuous production values and generous illustrations go hand in hand with its rigorous and wide-ranging scholarship. The essays explore Raphael’s paintings and drawings, his frescoes in the Vatican Stanze, his designs for tapestries, sculptures and prints, and his engagement with architecture. Detailed and authoritative catalogue entries examine many of Raphael’s finest works. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

A definitive overview of one of the most celebrated figures of the Italian Renaissance Among the great figures of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael (1483–1520) is unarguably the artist who has been most widely and consistently admired across the centuries. He had an extraordinary and perhaps unrivaled capacity for self-reinvention—as he progressed from Umbria to Florence and Rome—and an ability to draw strength from the other great artists around him, seemingly growing in stature the more daunting the competition became. This insightful, impeccably researched, and comprehensive volume chronicles the progress of his career in all its richness and complexity. Sumptuous production values and generous illustrations go hand in hand with its rigorous and wide-ranging scholarship. The essays explore Raphael’s paintings and drawings, his frescoes in the Vatican Stanze, his designs for tapestries, sculpturesand prints, and his engagement with architecture. Detailed and authoritative catalogue entries examine many of Raphael’sfinest works. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

The definitive survey of one of the masters of Italian Renaissance art, featuring groundbreaking new research by a leading expert on Raphael's life and work Raphael (Raffaello di Giovanni Santi; 1483-1520) is unquestionably one of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance. Despite living only thirty-seven years, he quickly emerged as a peer to both Leonardo and his avowed rival, Michelangelo. Raphael: Sublime Poetry spans his short but spectacular life and career, from his early training amid the culture of his native Urbino, through his prolific years in Florence, to his final, magnificent decade at the papal court in Rome. Though Raphael is best known for his meteoric success as a painter, draftsman, designer, and architect, this catalogue highlights his equal accomplishments as a humanist, antiquarian, and poet. Carmen C. Bambach offers fresh perspectives on the beloved artist, reconsidering his well-known masterpieces and uncovering the importance of rarely seen treasures. The publication also sheds new light on Raphael's relationship with women by identifying previously unrecognized models for his portraits and discussing the agency of his female patrons. Bringing together more than two hundred of Raphael's drawings, paintings, tapestries, and decorative arts from public and private collections around the world, this catalogue is rich in archival discoveries and firsthand technical analyses. Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, it is the definitive text on the artist's life, art, and enduring legacy. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (March 29-June 28, 2026)

The definitive survey of one of the masters of Italian Renaissance art, featuring groundbreaking new research by a leading expert on Raphael's life and work Raphael (Raffaello di Giovanni Santi; 1483-1520) is unquestionably one of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance. Despite living only thirty-seven years, he quickly emerged as a peer to both Leonardo and his avowed rival, Michelangelo. Raphael: Sublime Poetry spans his short but spectacular life and career, from his early training amid the culture of his native Urbino, through his prolific years in Florence, to his final, magnificent decade at the papal court in Rome. Though Raphael is best known for his meteoric success as a painter, draftsman, designer, and architect, this catalogue highlights his equal accomplishments as a humanist, antiquarian, and poet. Carmen C. Bambach offers fresh perspectives on the beloved artist, reconsidering his well-known masterpieces and uncovering the importance of rarely seen treasures. The publication also sheds new light on Raphael's relationship with women by identifying previously unrecognized models for his portraits and discussing the agency of his female patrons. Bringing together more than two hundred of Raphael's drawings, paintings, tapestries, and decorative arts from public and private collections around the world, this catalogue is rich in archival discoveries and firsthand technical analyses. Lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched, it is the definitive text on the artist's life, art, and enduring legacy. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (March 29-June 28, 2026)