All of Raphael's paintings are a vivid reflection of his subtle nature. From an early age he was endowed with a hardened work ethic and a desire for spiritual and pure beauty. Therefore, in his works he tirelessly conveyed the enchanting forms of lofty ideas. Perhaps that is why such a huge number of works were born under the master’s brush, which convey the perfection of the surrounding world and its ideals. Probably, none of the artists of the Renaissance so skillfully and deeply revived the subjects of their paintings. Just remember a real masterpiece of art of that time “ Sistine Madonna" The image of a unique, wonderful vision appears unshakably and desired before the viewer. It seems to descend from the bluish depths of heaven and envelop those around with its majestic and noble golden radiance. Mary descends solemnly and boldly, holding her baby in her arms. Such paintings by Raphael are a vivid reflection of his sublime feelings and pure sincere emotions. Monumental forms, clear silhouettes, balanced composition - this is the whole author, his aspirations for high ideals and perfection.
On his canvases, the master fell in love again with female beauty, graceful grandeur and the gentle charm of heroines. It’s not for nothing that he wrote at least two of his works “ Three Graces" And " Cupid and the Graces» dedicated beautiful goddesses Roman mythology - ancient Greek Charites. Their soft forms and rich lines embodied the most joyful, kind and bright beginning of all life. Raphael tirelessly drew inspiration from them. He purposefully depicted goddesses naked in order to bring each viewer closer to virgin and tender nature. high art. Perhaps this is why the rest of the artist’s works vividly display divine power, sensual beauty, inextricably linked with the ideals of the surrounding world.
Text: Ksusha Kors
Biography
era High Renaissance Italy gave the world great artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian. Each of them embodied the spirit and ideals of the era in their work. The works of Leonardo clearly reflected cognitive purposefulness, the works of Michelangelo - the pathos and drama of the struggle for great perfection, Titian - cheerful free-thinking, Raphael glorifies the feelings of beauty and harmony.
Raphael (more precisely Raffaello Santi) was born April 6, 1483(according to other sources, March 28, 1483) in the family of the court artist and poet of the Duke of Urbino Giovanni Santi in the city of Urbino. Raphael's father was an educated man and it was he who instilled in his son a love of art. And Raphael received his first painting lessons from his father.
When Raphael was 8 years old, his mother died, and at the age of 11, after the death of his father, he was left an orphan.
The city of Urbino, where Raphael was born and raised, in the middle of the 15th century was a brilliant artistic center, a center of humanistic culture in Italy. Young artist could get acquainted with wonderful works of art in the churches and palaces of Urbino, and the beneficial atmosphere of beauty and art awakened imagination, dreams, and nurtured artistic taste. Biographers and researchers of Raphael's work suggest that for the next 5-6 years he studied painting with mediocre Urbino masters Evangelista di Piandimeleto and Timoteo Viti.
IN 1500 year, Rafael Santi moved to Perugia to continue his education in the workshop of the most important Umbrian painter, Pietro Perugino (Vannucci). Artistic style The contemplative and lyrical Perugino was close. First artistic compositions were performed by Raphael at the age of 17-19 " Three Graces», « Knight's Dream" and the famous " Madonna Conestabile" The theme of the Madonna is especially close to Raphael’s lyrical talent and it is no coincidence that it will remain one of the main ones in his work.
Raphael's Madonnas are usually depicted against the backdrop of landscapes, their faces breathing calm and love.
During the Peruginian period, the painter created the first monumental composition for the church - “ Mary's Betrothal", signifying new stage in his work. IN 1504 year Raphael moves to Florence. He lived in Florence for four years, occasionally traveling to Urbino, Perugia, and Bologna. In Florence, the artist becomes familiar with the artistic ideals of Renaissance art and becomes acquainted with the works of antiquity. At the same time, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo worked in Florence, creating cardboards for battle scenes in the Palazzo Vecchiu.
Raphael studies ancient art, makes sketches from the works of Donatello, from the compositions of Leonardo and Michelangelo. He draws a lot from life, depicts models naked, and strives to correctly convey the structure of the body, its movement, and plasticity. At the same time, he studies the laws of monumental composition.
Raphael's painting style is changing: it expresses plastic more strongly, forms are more generalized, compositions are more simple and strict. During this period of his work, the image of the Madonna becomes the main one. The fragile, dreamy Umbrian Madonnas were replaced by images of more earthly full-blooded ones, their inner world became more complex and emotionally rich.
Compositions depicting Madonnas and Children brought Raphael fame and popularity: “ Madonna del Granduca" (1505), " Madonna Tempi" (1508), " Madonna of Orleans», « Madonna Column" In each painting on this subject, the artist finds new nuances, artistic fantasies make them completely different, the images acquire greater freedom and movement. The landscapes surrounding the Mother of God are a world of serenity and idyll. This period of the painter, " Madonna artist" - the flowering of his lyrical talent.
The Florentine period of Raphael’s work ends with the monumental painting “ Entombment"(1507) and marks his transition to a monumental-heroic generalized style.
in autumn 1508 Raphael moves to Rome. At that time, at the invitation of Pope Julius II, the best architects, sculptors, and painters from all over Italy came to Rome. Humanist scientists gathered around the papal court. Popes and powerful spiritual and secular rulers collected works of art and patronized science and the arts. In Rome, Raphael becomes a great master of monumental painting.
Pope Julius II commissioned Raphael to decorate the papal chambers in the Vatican Palace, the so-called stanzas (rooms), with paintings. Raphael worked on the frescoes of the Stanza for nine years - from 1508 to 1517. Raphael's frescoes became the embodiment of the humanistic dream of the Renaissance about the spiritual and physical perfection of man, his high calling and his creative potential. The themes of the frescoes that form a single cycle are the personification and glorification of Truth (Vero), Good, Good (Bene), Beauty, Beautiful (Bello). At the same time, these are three interconnected spheres of human activity - intellectual, moral and aesthetic.
The theme of the fresco " Dispute» (« Dispute"") affirmation of the triumph of the highest truth (the truth of religious revelation), communion. On the opposite wall is the best fresco of the Vatican Stanzas, greatest creation Raphael " Athens school ». « Athens school"symbolizes the rational search for truth by philosophy and science. IN " Athens school“The painter depicted a meeting of ancient thinkers and scientists.
Third fresco of Stanza della Segnatura " Parnassus“- the personification of the idea of Bello - Beauty, Beautiful. This fresco depicts Apollo surrounded by muses, inspiredly playing the viol; below are famous and anonymous poets, playwrights, prose writers, most of them ancient (Homer, Sappho, Alcaeus, Virgil, Dante, Petrarch...). Allegorical scene opposite " Parnassus", glorifies (Bene) Good, Good. This idea is personified by the figures of Wisdom, Measure and Strength, rhythmically united by the figures of little geniuses. Three of which symbolize virtues - Faith, Hope, Charity.
Raphael was engaged in monumental painting until the last years of his life. The surviving drawings of Raphael clearly reveal the originality creative method the artist, the preparation and implementation of the main task of the work. the main objective– this is the creation of a composition that is holistic and complete.
During his years of work in Rome, Raphael received many orders for portraits. The portraits he created are simple, strict in composition; the main, most significant, unique thing in a person’s appearance stands out: “ Portrait of a Cardinal», « Portrait of the writer Baldassare Castiglione"(Raphael's friend)…
And in easel painting Raphael’s constant theme remains the plot with the Madonna: “ Madonna Alba" (1509), " Madonna in a chair"(1514-1515), altar paintings - " Madonna di Foligno"(1511-1512), " St. Cecilia"(1514).
The greatest creation of easel painting by Raphael " Sistine Madonna"(1513-1514). The royally majestic human intercessor descends to earth. The Madonna hugs little Christ to her, but her hugs are multi-valued: they contain both love and parting - she gives him to people for suffering and torment. Madonna moves and is still. She remains in her sublime ideal world and goes to the earthly world. Mary eternally bears her son to people - the embodiment, symbol of the highest humanity, beauty and greatness of the sacrificial mother's love. Raphael created an image of the Mother of God that is understandable to everyone.
The last years of Raphael's life were devoted to different areas activities. IN 1514 year, he was appointed to supervise the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral, Supervising the progress of all construction and repair work in the Vatican. He created architectural designs for the Church of Sant'Eliggio degli Orefici (1509), Palazzo Pandolfini in Florence, and Villa Madama.
IN 1515-1516 years, together with his students, he created cardboards for carpets intended for decoration on holidays Sistine Chapel.
The last work is “ Transfiguration"(1518-1520) - performed with significant participation of students and was completed by them after the death of the master.
Raphael's painting reflected the style, aesthetics and worldview of the era, the era of the High Renaissance. Raphael was born to express the ideals of the Renaissance, the dream of a beautiful person and a beautiful world.
Raphael died at the age of 37 April 6, 1520. The great artist was buried with full honors in the Pantheon. Raphael remained the pride of Italy and all humanity for centuries.
Named Designer of the Year by Maison&Objet Americas. The son of a Cuban and Polish father, he inherited a love of bright color combinations and strict geometry of shapes.
Rafael de Cárdenas Lives and works in
New York. Graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design and UCLA worked for Calvin for three years Klein.
In 2005, he opened his own architectural office in New York. Architecture at Large. His interiors have been published in leading glossy publications.
Started with Calvin Klein. At one time he was a curator (he even brought the New York Minute exhibition to Moscow for Museum contemporary art"Garage"). He mastered architecture and industrial design, graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles. Designed by Greg Lynn, worked on the memorial at the site of the World Trade Center. His clients include Baccarat, Cartier, Kartell, Nike and others.
De Cardenas - a real hero postmodern. He likes to pontificate about the 1980s, the period of his childhood - the time of hip-hop and street art. Fan of Madonna and "Hunger" with David Bowie. According to him, architecture for him is more a way of “thinking in architectural categories.” Raphael's dream to include architecture in consciousness modern man, into the context of his life, where fashion, art, design and music intertwine. The main thing is not the buildings, but the “architecture of mood.” His interiors are often real shows of color and geometry. Favorite materials are wood, glass, metal, stone. Cardenas has a special attitude towards stones: he takes only the brightest and most saturated ones - malachite, marble - and generously uses them in large spaces.
Baccarat boutique in Manhattan. 
Nike showroom and fitness studio in Soho, New York. 
Office interior in the former Black Ocean firehouse, Manhattan, New York. 
Interior of Asia de Cuba restaurant in New York. 
Interiors of Delfina Delettrez boutique, London.
"Carrying the Cross" is one of the most tragic works Raphael. It conveys not only the moment of their life of Christ, described in religious sources, but also human emotions that the author so diligently conveyed. The feeling of grief, [...]
"Bridgewater Madonna" is part of a series of paintings by Raphael Santi dedicated to images of the Madonna. The legendary artist’s brush carefully painted the images of the Madonna, each time trying to find, “probe” that very ideal, mysterious and unattainable. The desire to portray [...]
Ceiling fresco, mosaic. Dimensions: 120 by 105 cm. Dated 1509-1511. Located in Stanza della Segnatura, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City. The said stanza – translated from Italian as room – is the Pope’s office […]
Great Italian artist Raphael Santi was left an orphan at an early age, but gained his first experience as a painter in the studio of his father, who painted at the court of the Duke of Urbino. Subsequently, in his work, Raphael was guided by the first [...]
The amazing time of the Renaissance gave birth to the stories of many brilliant sculptors and artists. It is noteworthy that talented people of that time they possessed precisely a versatile gift - painting, sculpture, graphic, and sometimes architectural. Raphael's genius is more […]
In the image you can clearly see how much Raphael was influenced by the work of another artist, Michelangelo. In the center of the canvas is a sacred group - the four evangelists are depicted by four beasts. In the center is the unclothed God the Father. His body […]
The work was painted in 1502-1503 for the Oddi altar. An interesting fact when creating this canvas was that the artist did not independently determine the main components of the image. Moreover, his favorite religious theme in the early […]
His brushes include such masterpieces of world painting as “ Sistine Madonna", "Madonna Granduca", "The Three Graces", "The School of Athens", etc.
In 1483, in the city of Urbino, a son was born into the family of the painter Giovanni Santi, who was named Raphael. From childhood, he watched his father work in his workshop and learned the art of painting from him. After the death of his father, Raphael ended up in the studio of the great artist in Perugia. It is from this provincial workshop that the biography of Raphael Santi as a painter begins. His first works, which later received recognition from art lovers, were the fresco “Madonna and Child”, the banner depicting the “Holy Trinity”, and the image on the altar “The Coronation of St. Nicholas of Tolentino” for the temple in the city of Città di Castello. These works were written by him at the age of 17. For two or three years, Raphael created paintings exclusively with religious themes. He especially liked to draw Madonnas. During this period, he painted “Madonna Solly”, “Madonna Conestabile”, etc. His first works on non-biblical themes were the paintings “The Knight’s Dream” and “The Three Graces”.
Biography of Raphael Santi: Florentine period
In 1504, Raphael moved from Perugia to Florence. Here he meets the greatest artists of the time, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti and other Florentine masters, and their works make a deep impression on him. Raphael begins to study the techniques of these masters and even makes copies of some paintings. For example, his copy of Leonardo’s canvas “Leda and the Swan” still survives. From Michelangelo, a great master of depicting the human body, he tries to adopt the technique of drawing the correct poses and
Artist Raphael. Biography: Roman period
In 1508, the 25-year-old painter travels to Rome. He is entrusted with the monumental painting of some walls and ceilings in the Vatican Palace. This is where the artist Raphael can truly shine! His biography, starting from this period, leads the master to the pinnacle of glory. His giant fresco "The School of Athens" was recognized as a masterpiece by the highest ecclesiastical officials.
For some time, Rafael Santi supervises the construction. At the same time, he creates several more Madonnas. In 1513, the artist finished working on one of the most famous paintings in world painting - the “Sistine Madonna”, which immortalized his name more than others. Thanks to this painting, he won the favor of Pope Julius II, who appointed him to the position of chief artist of the Apostolic See.
His main job at the papal court was painting the state rooms. However, the artist also managed to paint portraits of noble nobles and made several of his own self-portraits. The entire biography of Rafael Santi is nevertheless connected with painting paintings depicting the Madonna. Subsequently, art critics explained this passion by his desire to find the ideal of purity and purity. More than 200 paintings of the Madonna by Raphael are known to the world, although this is far from an exact number. Raphael Santi died at the age of 37 in Rome, but his paintings have continued to delight connoisseurs of true art for many centuries.
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 receives the position of “artist of the Apostolic See” and the commission to paint the state chambers 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 exclusively important place. 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 painting of the young artist Raphael Santi, when the harmonious compositional structure does not fetter the images, but, on the contrary, is perceived as necessary condition the feeling of naturalness and freedom that they generate.
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Holy family1507-1508. 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 Raphael Santi depicted the Renaissance era in the classical key of biblical history - holy family- The Virgin Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus Christ along with Saint 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 for him real prototype? In this regard, a number of things are associated with the Dresden painting ancient legends. 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 perfect female beauty he is guided by a certain idea that 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 Raphael 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, the highest example of 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 creative work, 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 gorgeous early work by the young artist is part or a fragment of the Baroncha altar, damaged by the earthquake of 1789. The altarpiece “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 “ 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 Dream of a Knight" and "The Three Graces" - are almost miniature in composition size.
The theme of “The Knight’s Dream” is a unique refraction of the ancient myth of 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 compositional motif of three naked female figures 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; the young painter was 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 and 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 variations of one theme - the theme of maternal 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, including the Madonna di Foligno, lead us to the greatest creation of 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 compositional structure is 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 when the best portrait works Raphael.
Castiglione, Count Baldassare (Castiglione; 1478-1526) - Italian diplomat and writer. Born near Mantua, he served at various Italian courts, was the ambassador of 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".
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Joanna of Aragon1518 Louvre Museum, Paris. |
The customer of the painting was 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 depicts in the painting classic version 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, individual frescoes depict episodes from the history of the papacy; some compositions include portrait images of Julius II and his successor Leo X.
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 Dispute, which depicts a conversation about the sacrament of the sacrament, 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 floating 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.
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Prophet Isaiah1511-1512. 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, the 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 last paintings of 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 any other artistic ensemble, which 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, floor beautiful pattern- 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.
Until the last years of his life, Raphael paid great attention to monumental painting. One of largest works The artist painted 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 journeys of the human soul, yearning 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 - legendary lover and Raphael's model, whose real name is Margherita Luti. According to many Renaissance art critics and historians of the artist’s work, Fornarina is depicted in two famous paintings by 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.
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Transfiguration of Christ1519-1520. Pinacoteca Vatican, Rome. |
The painting was originally created as an altarpiece for the Cathedral of Narbonne, commissioned by Cardinal Giulio 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.
