Biography of Raphael Santi - the greatest artist of the Renaissance. Raffaello Santi

Raphael is an artist who has had a monumental influence on the way art has developed. Rafael 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 the images of Madonnas and monumental frescoes in the Vatican Palace. The biography of Raphael Santi, as well as his work, is divided into three main periods.

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

Short biography of Raphael Santi

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

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

The four years spent under the influence of Florentine art helped him achieve an individual style and unique painting technique. Upon his 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 the "Raphael 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.

Raphael's creativity

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

Raphael was an extremely dynamic and active person, therefore, despite his 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 skill, but after Santi's untimely death, attention turned to Michelangelo's work, and until the 18th century, Raphael's legacy remained in relative oblivion.

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

Florentine period

From 1504 to 1508, Raphael led a nomadic lifestyle. He never stayed in Florence for a long time, but despite this, four years of his life, and especially creativity, Raphael is 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 visible in one of the first works of the Florentine period - "Three Graces". Rafael Santi has managed to assimilate new trends while remaining true to his individual style. The monumental painting has also changed, as evidenced by the frescoes of 1505. The murals show the influence of Fra Bartolomeo.

However, most clearly during this period, the influence of da Vinci on the work of Raphael Santi can be traced. Raphael assimilated not only the elements of technique and composition (sfumato, pyramidal construction, counterpost), 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. Friendship with Donato Bramante, chief architect of the Vatican, provided him with a warm welcome at the court of Pope Julius II. Almost immediately after the move, Raphael began large-scale work on the frescoes for Stanza della Segnatura. The compositions that adorn the walls of the papal study are still considered the ideal of monumental painting. The frescoes, among which the "School of Athens" and "Controversy about the Sacrament" 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 - under the supervision of Santi worked more than 50 students and assistants to the artist, 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. For a short time he was one of the most influential architects in Rome. Unfortunately, few of the plans developed were realized due to his untimely death and subsequent changes in the architecture of the city.

Raphael Madonna

During his rich career, Raphael created more than 30 canvases depicting Mary and baby Jesus. Raphael Santi's Madonnas are divided into Florentine and Roman.

Florentine Madonnas - paintings created under the influence of Leonardo da Vinci, depicting a young Mary with a baby. John the Baptist is often depicted next to the Madonna and Jesus. The 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 on them, as well as the perfection of forms and harmony of lines.

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

Raphael's Stanzas

The monumental canvases that adorn the walls of the Papal Palace (now the Vatican Museum) are considered Raphael's greatest works. It is hard to believe that the artist finished work on Stanza della Segnatura in three and a half years. The frescoes, among which the magnificent "School of Athens", were painted in an extremely detailed and high quality manner. Judging by the drawings and preparatory sketches, working on them was an incredibly time-consuming process, which once again testifies to Raphael's hard work and artistic talent.

Four frescoes from Stanza della Segnatura depict the four spheres of a person's spiritual life: philosophy, theology, poetry and justice - the compositions "The School of Athens", "Controversy about the Sacrament", "Parnassus" and "Wisdom, Moderation and Strength" ("Worldly Virtues") ...

Raphael was commissioned 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 - the divine patronage of the church.

Raphael Santi: portraits

The portrait genre in Raphael's work is not as prominent as religious and even mythological or historical painting. The artist's early portraits technically lag behind his other canvases, but the subsequent development of technology and the study of human forms allowed Raphael to create realistic portraits, imbued with the artist's serenity and clarity.

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 the technical execution and the emotional load of the painting create a unique and deep impression that only Raphael Santi could achieve. The photo today is not capable of what the portrait of Pope Julius II achieved at one time - the people who saw it for the first time were scared and crying, so perfectly Raphael was able to convey not only the face, but also the mood and character of the object of the image.

Another influential portrait by Raphael is "Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione", which was copied by Rubens and Rembrandt.

Architecture

The architectural style of Raphael underwent the quite expected influence of Bramante, which is why Raphael's short period as the chief architect of the Vatican and one of the most influential architects of Rome is so important for preserving the stylistic unity of buildings.

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

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

Graphic works

Painting by Raphael Santi is not the only form of fine art in which the artist has achieved perfection. Most recently, one of his drawings ("The Head of a Young Prophet") was auctioned for £ 29 million, making it the most expensive drawing in the history of art.

Today, there are about 400 drawings belonging to the hand of Raphael. Most of them are sketches for paintings, but there are some that can easily be considered separate, independent works.

Among the graphic works of Raphael, there are several compositions created in collaboration with Marcantonio Raimondi, who created many engravings from 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 has acquired a unique artistic vision and almost perfect execution in the work of this wonderful master.

Raphael left his descendants an artistic and ideological legacy. It is so rich and varied that it’s hard to believe in looking at how short his 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.

An Italian Renaissance painter, brilliant graphic artist and master of architectural solutions, Raphael Santi absorbed the experience of the Umbrian school of painting. In his canvases, as in a mirror, the ideals of the Renaissance were reflected. The world became kinder and cleaner when the eyes of Raphael's Madonnas - Sistine, Conestabile, Pasadena, Orleans - looked at it.

Childhood and youth

The painter was born in the spring of 1483 in the 15 thousandth town of Urbino in eastern Italy. Father Giovanni dei Santi worked as the court painter of the duke, mother of Margie Charla raised her son and ran the household. Raphael's family had the means to pay for the nurse, but Giovanni insisted that his wife feed the baby on her own. As a child, Rafael Santi showed a talent for painting. The father noticed this when he took the boy to the castle, where the masters worked, masterfully wielding the brush - the duke welcomed art, highlighting the artists.

Paolo Uccello, Luca Signorelli are the names of painters known to every Italian. The masters painted portraits of the duke and his relatives, painted the palace walls. The eyes of young Raphael were closely watching the brush of the masters. Soon Santi realized that his son would leave in the shadows both him and Uccello and Signorelli. Rafael Santi was orphaned early: as soon as he was 8 years old, his mother died. The departure of the most dear person left a mark on the painter's creative biography. His Madonnas and portraits of beloved women seem to glow with maternal love, which the artist did not receive in childhood.

Soon Bernardin's stepmother appeared in the house, for whom the husband's son was a stranger's child. At 12, the artist became an orphan. Even then, the teenager demonstrated amazing skills, and he was assigned to the studio of the artist Pietro Perugino. The painter taught the boy until sophisticated connoisseurs ceased to distinguish copies of Raphael from paintings by Perugino. Santi, like a sponge, absorbed the experience of the teachers and left behind all the students, while not getting carried away and was friends with them.

Painting

In 1504, 21-year-old Rafael Santi found himself in Florence: the young painter moved to the cradle of the Renaissance after Perugino. The move had a beneficial effect on the career and skill of the young man - the teacher introduced Raphael to renowned painters, sculptors and architects. In the city on the banks of the Arno Santi met. We know about the lost painting of the genius Leonardo "Leda and the Swan" thanks to a copy of Raphael Santi. The artist's Florentine period gave the world 20 Raphael Madonnas with Babies, in which Santi put all his longing for his mother.

The year of his move to Florence was marked by the writing of several early masterpieces by Raphael. The painting "The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" and the painting "The Knight's Dream" date back to 1504. The Madonna of Conestabil and The Three Graces appeared in Florence. The last canvas, which is now kept in the museum of the French city of Chantilly, depicts the goddesses of Innocence, Beauty and Love, holding golden balls in their hands - symbols of perfection. In the early canvases of Raphael Santi, the influence of the teacher can be traced, but after 2-3 years the artist demonstrates the author's style.

Since 1508, the painter has lived in Rome, where he received an invitation from Pope Julius II. The priest, who had heard about the young man, invited Santi to paint the stanzas - the ceremonial premises of the Vatican Palace. Seeing a sketch of a fresco by Raphael, Julius II was so delighted that he gave the painter all the surfaces, ordering to remove the old drawings. Since 1509, Raphael Santi will remain in the Eternal City, painting the stanzas, until the day of his death. Raphael's Stanzas are four halls measuring 6 by 9 meters, each of which has four fresco compositions. The artist was helped by students, one fresco was made after the death of the painter according to his sketches.

The most famous stanza is the fresco "The School of Athens" (the second name is "Philosophical Conversations"). On it, Rafael Santi placed 50 figures of philosophers, in the appearance of which the faces of artists and thinkers of Italy are recognizable (written with da Vinci, similar to). Pope Leo X, who took the place of the deceased Julius II, in 1514 appointed Santi the chief architect and custodian of values. Raphael built the Basilica of St. Peter, making changes to the original design of the deceased predecessor Donato Bramante, made a census of the monuments of Ancient Rome. The genius of the master belongs to the Church of Sant Eligio degli Orefici, the Chigi Chapel, the Vidoni Caffarelli Palace.

In Rome, Rafael Santi continued the gallery of the Madonnas, bringing the number of paintings to 42. They are just as touching, and the charm of motherhood shines through in the eyes, hands, every line of clothes. But in the Roman gallery of Madonnas and Babies, the author's handwriting of the painter, individuality is already visible. The faces of women are sensual, in the eyes of anxiety for the child. Landscape compositions in the background become more complicated, introducing semantic shades into the picture.

Art critics point to the Quattrocento style prevailing in the early depictions of the Madonnas: the figures are frontal and constrained, the faces are solemnly abstract, the gaze is calm. Quattrocento is eroded by sensuality during the Florentine period, and the Roman Madonnas are painted in the nascent Baroque style.

In the house of the master in Urbino, which is now called the "House-Museum of Rafael Santi", an early work of the painter "Madonna of the House of Santi" is exhibited. Art critics are not sure that the canvas was painted by Raphael: there is an opinion that it belongs to the brush of his father, who depicted a wife with a young son. In the picture, the Madonna is turned to the viewer in profile, her eyes are fixed on the book, her hands gently touch her son. The work dates back to 1498. The most mysterious is called "Madonna Granduca" - an early work of Raphael, dating back to 1505. It is kept in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

From an X-ray of the canvas, scientists determined that the top layer was applied a century after Raphael Santi painted the picture. Art critics agree that the artist Carlo Dolci, the owner of the canvas, applied a dark background, as he considered it to be consistent with religious rites. "Madonna Granduca" is in the gallery of Florence.

Madonna Conestabile is an early work by a 20-year-old artist, painted in Umbria in 1502-04. This is an unfinished miniature, which Raphael did not manage to complete due to his move to Florence. Its second name is "Madonna of the Book". The Mother of God looks with sadness at the smiling baby, who has taken hold of the book (presumably the Holy Scriptures).

Personal life

The artist's talent was appreciated during his lifetime: the patrons, not wanting the masters to be lured away by the French, paid for his work generously. Raphael had an antique-style mansion built according to the author's design. Merchants and dukes dreamed of marrying their daughter to an eminent painter, but a subtle connoisseur of female beauty stood firm. Cardinal Bibbiena, who wanted to intermarry with Santi, achieved the engagement of Raphael to his niece, but the maestro refused at the last moment.

The woman who was able to win the heart of 30-year-old Raphael was the baker's daughter, whom Santi nicknamed "Fornarina" (bun, donut). The artist saw 17-year-old Margarita Luti in the Chigi garden, where he worked on the images of Cupid and Psyche. Rafael Santi paid the baker 50 gold coins so that his daughter posed for him, but he was so carried away by the young beauty that he bought it from his father for 3 thousand coins.

For six years, Margarita was the artist's muse, inspiring masterpieces. After the death of Raphael "Fornarina", having inherited the house and maintenance, abandoned everything and went to a monastery. In the records of the monastery, Margarita is listed as the widow of the painter.

Death

The cause of the artist's death is unknown. According to a contemporary of Raphael, painter and writer Vasari, the death of the 37-year-old maestro was the result of debauchery. After a stormy night, Santi returned home and complained of discomfort. The doctor made bloodletting, which worsened the patient's condition, and he died. The second version says about a cold that Raphael caught in the burial galleries, where he participated in the excavations.

The artist died on April 6, 1520. The last refuge was a tomb in the Roman Pantheon. An epitaph is engraved on the slab that covered the remains: "Here lies the great Raphael, during whose life nature was afraid to be defeated, and after his death she was afraid to die."

Artworks

• 1504 - "The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary"
• 1504-1505 - "Three Graces"
• 1506 - "Madonna in the Green"
• 1506 - "Portrait of Agnolo Doni"
• 1506 - "Madonna with the Goldfinch"
• 1506 - "Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn"
• 1507 - "The Beautiful Gardener"
• 1508 - Cowper's Big Madonna
• 1508 - "Madonna Esterhazy"
• 1509 - "School of Athens"
• 1510-1511 - "Dispute"
• 1511 - Madonna Alba
• 1511-1512 - "The Expulsion of Iliodorus from the Temple"
• 1514 - "Meeting of Pope Leo I and Attila"
• 1513-1514 - "Sistine Madonna"
• 1518-1519 - "Portrait of a Young Woman" ("Fornarina")
• 1518-1520 - "Transfiguration"

The great Italian painter was born in 1483 in Urbino. His father was also a painter and graphic artist, so the future master began his studies in his father's workshop.

Raphael's parents died when the boy was barely 11 years old. After their death, he went to Perugia to study at the workshop of Pietro Perugino. He spent about 4 years in the master's workshop and during this time he acquired his own style.

Carier start

According to the short biography of Raphael Santi, after completing his studies, the artist went to live and work in Florence. Here he met such outstanding masters as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Bartolomeo della Porta. He learned from these eminent masters the secrets of portraiture and sculpture.

In 1508, the artist moved to Rome and became the official painter of the papal court. He held this position both under Pope Julius II and under Pope Leo X. It was for the latter that Raphael painted the Sistine Chapel - the greatest masterpiece of the Renaissance.

In 1514 Raphael became the chief architect of St. Peter's Cathedral. He also did a lot of excavations in Rome, worked to order for numerous churches, painted portraits (though mostly portraits of friends), and carried out especially significant private orders.

Retrospective of the artist's work: the Florentine period

The artist completed his first works in his father's workshop. The most striking example of the young artist's creativity is the Banner with the image of the Holy Trinity. This work is still in the house-museum in Urbino.

While studying with Pietro Perugino, Raphael began to work on images of his classical Madonnas. His most striking work from the period from 1501 to 1504 is "Madonna Conestabile".

The Florentine period is the most intense in the life of Raphael. He created at this time his recognized masterpieces, such as: "The Lady with the Unicorn", "The Holy Family", "St. Catherine of Alexandria ”.

Also during this period he painted Madonnas a lot. The Raphael Madonna is primarily a mother (most likely, the artist was greatly influenced by the early departure of his own mother). The best Madonnas of this period: "Madonna of the Carnation", "Madonna Granduca", "The Beautiful Gardener".

Retrospective of the artist's work: the Roman period

The Roman period of creativity is the pinnacle of the artist's career. He deviated a little from classical biblical subjects and turned to Antiquity. Recognized world masterpieces are: "School of Athens", "Parnassus", "Sistine Madonna" (painting on the wall of the Sistine Chapel - the pinnacle of Raphael's skill), "Madonna Alba", "Madonna with the Fish".

Death of the artist

Raphael died in 1520, presumably from a Roman fever, which he "caught" during excavations. Buried in the Pantheon.

Other biography options

• Raphael knew A. Durer. It is known that the latter gave Raphael his self-portrait, but his fate is still unknown to this day.
• Villa Farnesina is a special stage in the artist's work. We can say that he first turns to ancient mythology and historical painting. This is how the frescoes "Triumph of Galatea" and "The Wedding of Alexander and Roxanne" appear. It is interesting that Raphael also wrote from a nude. His best work in this regard is Fornarina (it is believed that most of the female portraits made by the artist were copied from his model and beloved Fornarina, whose fate is little known).
• Raphael wrote beautiful sonnets, mostly dedicated to the love of women.
• In 2002, one of Raphael's graphic works was sold at Sotheby's for a record amount for this type of work - £ 30 million.

Raphael (Rafaello Santi) (1483 - 1520) - artist (painter, graphic artist), architect of the High Renaissance.

Raphael Santi biography

In 1500 he moved to Perugia and entered the Perugino studio to study painting. At the same time, Raphael performed the first independent works: the skills and abilities taken over from his father affected. The most successful of his early works - "Madonna Conestabile" (1502-1503), "The Knight's Dream", "St. George" (both 1504)

Feeling like an accomplished artist, Raphael left his teacher in 1504 and moved to Florence. Here he worked hard to create the image of the Madonna, to whom he dedicated no less than ten works (Madonna with the Goldfinch, 1506-1507; Entombment, 1507, etc.).

At the end of 1508, Pope Julius II invited Raphael to move to Rome, where the artist spent the final period of his short life. At the Pope's court, he received the position of "artist of the Apostolic See". The main place in his work is now occupied by the murals of the ceremonial chambers (stanzas) of the Vatican Palace.

In Rome, Raphael achieved perfection as a portrait painter and acquired the opportunity to realize his talent as an architect: from 1514 he supervised the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral.

In 1515 he was appointed commissioner for antiquities, which meant the study and protection of ancient monuments and control over excavations.

The most famous of the works of Raphael, The Sistine Madonna (1515-1519), was also written in Rome. In the last years of his life, the popular artist was so loaded with orders that he had to delegate their execution to students, limiting himself to drawing up sketches and general control over the work.
He died on April 6, 1520 in Rome.

The tragedy of the brilliant master was that he could not leave behind worthy successors.

However, the work of Raphael had a huge impact on the development of world painting.

Art by Raphael Santi

The idea of ​​the brightest and most lofty ideals of humanism of the Renaissance was most fully embodied in his work by Raphael Santi (1483-1520). The younger contemporary of Leonardo, who lived a short, extremely eventful life, Raphael synthesized the achievements of his predecessors and created his ideal of a beautiful, harmoniously developed person surrounded by stately architecture or landscape.

As a seventeen-year-old boy, he reveals real creative maturity, creating a series of images full of harmony and spiritual clarity.

Delicate 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 background 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 forms of architecture, the balance and integrity of all parts of the composition testify to the formation of Raphael as a master of the High Renaissance.

With 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 coverage of reality.

The content of his art remains the lyrical theme of bright motherly love, to which he attaches special significance. She gets a more mature expression in such works as "Madonna in the Green" (1505, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum), "Madonna with a 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 pyramidal groups against the background of a beautiful rural landscape in the spirit of compositional techniques found earlier by Leonardo. The naturalness of the movements, the soft plasticity of the forms, the smoothness of the melodious lines, the beauty of the ideal type of the 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, to the court of Pope Julius II, a domineering, ambitious and energetic man who sought to increase the artistic treasures of his capital and attract the most talented cultural figures of that time to his service. At the beginning of the 16th century, Rome inspired hopes for the national unification of the country. The ideals of the national order have created the basis for creative upsurge, for the embodiment of advanced aspirations in art. Here, in close proximity to the heritage of antiquity, Raphael's talent flourishes and matures, acquiring a new scope and features of calm grandeur.

Raphael receives an order to paint the ceremonial rooms (the so-called stanzas) of the Vatican Palace. This work, which continued intermittently from 1509 to 1517, nominated Raphael among the greatest masters of Italian monumental art, confidently solving the problem of the synthesis of architecture and painting of the Renaissance.

The gift of Raphael, a monumentalist and decorator, manifested itself in all its splendor during the painting of the Station della Senyatura (press room).

On the long walls of this room, covered with sailing vaults, there are compositions "Dispute" and "School of Athens", on the narrow walls - "Parnassus" and "Wisdom, Moderation 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.

Dispute School of Athens Adam and Eve

The unification of the images of the Christian religion and pagan mythology in the murals testified to the spread among the humanists of that time of the ideas of reconciling the Christian religion with ancient culture and of the unconditional victory of the secular principle over the church. Even in the "Dispute" (the dispute of the church fathers about the sacrament), dedicated to the depiction of church leaders, among the participants in the dispute, one can recognize the poets and artists of Italy - Dante, Fra Beato Angelico and other painters and writers. The triumph of humanistic ideas in Renaissance art, its connection with antiquity, speaks of the composition "School of Athens", glorifying the mind of a beautiful and strong person, ancient science and philosophy.

The painting is perceived as a dream come true for a bright future.

From the depths of the suite of grandiose arched spans, a group of ancient thinkers emerges, in the center of which is the stately gray-bearded Plato and the confident, inspired Aristotle, with a gesture of his hand pointing to the ground, the founders of idealistic and materialistic philosophy. Below, on the left by the stairs, Pythagoras bent over the book, surrounded by his students, on the right - Euclid, and here, at the very edge, Raphael depicted himself next to the painter Sodoma. He is a young man with a gentle, attractive face. All the characters in the fresco are united by the mood of high spiritual uplift and deep thought. They form groups, indissoluble in their integrity and harmony, where each character precisely takes its place and where architecture itself, in its strict regularity and majesty, contributes to the recreation of an atmosphere of high rise of creative thought.

The fresco "The Expulsion of Eliodor" in Stanza d'Eliodoro stands out for its intense drama. The suddenness of the happening miracle - the expulsion of the robber of the temple by the heavenly horseman - is conveyed by the swift diagonal of the main movement, using the light effect. Pope Julius II is depicted among spectators gazing at the expulsion of Eliodorus. This is an allusion to events contemporary to 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 characters of Mass in Bolsene (frescoes in Stanza d'Eliodoro) take on sharp-looking portrait features. Raphael also turned to the portrait genre 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. An important place in his art continues to be occupied by the image of the Madonna, acquiring the features of great grandeur, monumentality, confidence, and strength. Such is the Madonna della Cedia (Madonna in the Chair, 1516, Florence, Pitti Gallery) with its harmonious, closed composition.

At the same time, Raphael created his greatest creation "Sistine Madonna"(1515-1519, Dresden, Picture Gallery), intended for the church of St. Sixtus in Piacenza. Unlike the earlier, lighter in mood, lyrical Madonnas, this is a stately image full of deep meaning. The curtains spread from the top on the sides reveal Mary easily walking on the clouds with a baby in her arms. Her gaze allows you to look into the world of her experiences. Seriously and sadly, she looks somewhere into the distance, as if anticipating the tragic fate of her son. To the left of the Madonna is depicted Pope Sixtus, enthusiastically contemplating a miracle, to the right is Saint Barbara, reverently looking down. Below are two angels looking up and, as it were, returning us to the main image - the Madonna and her childishly thoughtful baby.

Impeccable harmony and dynamic balance of the composition, delicate rhythm of smooth linear outlines, naturalness and freedom of movement make up the irresistible power of this whole, beautiful image.

The truth of life and the features of the ideal are combined with the spiritual purity of the complex tragic character of the Sistine Madonna. Some researchers found its prototype in the features of "Ladies in a Veil" (about 1513, Florence, Pitti Gallery), but Raphael himself, in a letter to his friend Castiglione, wrote that his creative method is based on the principle of selection and generalization of life observations: 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 accidental and transitory.

Raphael died at the age of thirty-seven, leaving unfinished paintings of the Villa Farnezina, the Vatican Loggias and a number of other works, completed on the basis of cardboard and drawings by his students. Free, graceful, casual drawings by Raphael put their creator into the ranks of the largest draftsmen in the world. His work in the field of architecture and applied arts testifies to him as a versatile gifted figure of the High Renaissance, who won great fame among his contemporaries. The very name of Raphael later became the common name of the ideal artist.

Numerous Italian students and followers of Raphael erected the teacher's creative method into an indisputable dogma, which contributed to the spread of imitation in Italian art and foreshadowed the imminent crisis of humanism.

• Rafael Santi was born into the family of a court poet and artist, and he himself was a favorite painter of those in power, feeling easily and comfortably in a secular society. Nevertheless, he was of low origin. He became an orphan from the age of 11, and his guardian has been suing his stepmother for years for family property.
• The famous painter painted "The Sistine Madonna" by order of the "black monks" - the Benedictines. He created his masterpiece on a huge canvas, alone, without the participation of students or assistants.
• The painting historian Vasari, and after him other biographers of Raphael, say that many "Madonnas" embody the baker's daughter Margarita Luti, known as Fornarina. Some consider her a calculating lecher, others - an honest lover, because of whom the artist even refused to marry a woman of noble birth. But many art critics believe that all this is a romantic myth about love, and no one knows Raphael's true relationship with women.
• The artist's painting, entitled "Fornarina", depicting a model in a semi-nude form, became the object of passionate discussions among doctors. A bluish patch on the model's chest has led to speculations that the model had cancer.
• The same Vasari reports gossip that, being a papal painter, the artist actually did not believe in God or in devil. This is unlikely, although the statement of one of the popes of that time is quite well known: "How much profit this fairy tale about Christ brought us!"

Bibliography

• Toys Christophe. Raphael. Taschen. 2005
• Makhov A. Raphael. Young guard. 2011. (The life of wonderful people)
• Eliasberg N.E. Raphael. - M .: Art, 1961. - 56, p. - 20,000 copies. (region)
• Stam S. M. Raphael's Florentine Madonnas: (Questions of ideological content). - Saratov: Publishing house of Saratov University, 1982. - 80 p. - 60,000 copies

When writing this article, materials from the following sites were used:citaty.su ,

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All of Raphael's paintings are a vivid reflection of his delicate nature. From an early age, he was endowed with a seasoned hard work and pursuit of spiritual and pure beauty. Therefore, in his works he tirelessly conveyed the enchanting forms of lofty designs. Perhaps that is why such a huge number of works were born under the brush of the master that convey the perfection of the surrounding world and its ideals. Probably none of the artists of the Renaissance so skillfully and deeply animated the subjects of their paintings. Recall at least a real masterpiece of art of that time " Sistine Madonna". Unshakably and desirable, the image of a unique, wonderful vision appears in front of the viewer. It seems to descend from the bluish depths of the heavens and envelop those around them with its majestic and noble golden radiance. Maria descends solemnly and boldly, holding her baby in her arms. Such paintings by Raphael are a vivid reflection of his lofty 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 again fell in love with female beauty, graceful grandeur and gentle charm of the heroines. No wonder he has at least two of his works " Three Graces" and " Cupid and Graces"Dedicated to the beautiful goddesses of Roman mythology - the ancient Greek charites. Their soft shapes and rich lines embodied the most joyful, kind and light beginning of all life. Raphael tirelessly drew inspiration from them. Purposefully, he portrayed the goddesses naked in order to bring each viewer closer to the virgin and delicate nature of high art. Perhaps that is why the rest of the artist's works clearly reflect the divine power, sensual beauty, inextricably linked with the ideals of the surrounding world.

Text: Ksusha Kors

Biography

The era of the High Renaissance in Italy gave the world great artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian. Each of them embodied the spirit and ideals of the era in his work. In the work of Leonardo, cognitive purposefulness was vividly reflected, in the works of Michelangelo - the pathos and drama of the struggle for great perfection, in Titian - cheerful free-thinking, Raphael sings the feelings of beauty and harmony.

Raphael (more precisely Rafaello Santi) was born April 6, 1483(according to other sources, March 28, 1483) in the family of the court painter and poet, 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 is a brilliant artistic center, a center of the humanistic culture of Italy. The 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 brought up artistic taste. Biographers and researchers of Raphael's work suggest that for the next 5-6 years he studied painting with the mediocre Urbino masters Evangelista di Pianndimeleto and Timoteo Viti.

V 1500 Rafael Santi moved to Perugia to continue his education in the workshop of the largest Umbrian painter, Pietro Perugino (Vannucci). Perugino's artistic manner, contemplative and lyrical, was close. The 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 the lyrical talent of Raphael, and it is no coincidence that it will remain one of the main in his work.

Raphael's Madonnas, as a rule, are depicted against the background of landscapes, their faces breathe calmness and love.

In the Perugia period, the painter creates the first monumental composition for the church - “ Mary's betrothal", Marking a new stage in his work. V 1504 year Raphael moves to Florence. In Florence, he lived for four years, occasionally leaving for Urbino, Perugia, Bologna. In Florence, the artist becomes familiar with the artistic ideals of Renaissance art, gets 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 Vecchu.

Raphael studies ancient art, makes sketches from the works of Donatello, from compositions by Leonardo and Michelangelo. He draws a lot from life, depicts models naked, achieves the correct transfer of the structure of the body, its movement, plasticity. At the same time he studies the laws of monumental composition.

The style of Raphael's painting is changing: in it, plastic is more strongly expressed, forms are more generalized, compositions are simpler and more rigorous. 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 babies brought fame and popularity to Raphael: “ Madonna del Granduca"(1505)," Madonna Tempi"(1508)," Orleans madonna», « Madonna Column". The artist finds new nuances in each picture based on this plot, 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, " artist madonnas"- the flowering of his lyrical talent.

The Florentine period of Raphael's creativity ends with the monumental canvas " The position in the coffin”(1507) and marks his transition to the monumental-heroic generalized style.

In autumn 1508 year Raphael moves to Rome. At that time, at the invitation of Pope Julius II, the best architects, sculptors, painters from all over Italy came to Rome. Scientists - humanists gathered around the papal court. Popes, powerful spiritual and secular rulers collected works of art, patronized science and 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 with paintings, the so-called stanzas (rooms). Raphael worked on the frescoes of the stations for nine years - from 1508 to 1517... Raphael's frescoes became the embodiment of the humanistic dream of rebirth 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, Beauty (Bello). At the same time, these are, as it were, three interrelated spheres of human activity - intellectual, moral and aesthetic.

Fresco theme « Dispute» (« Dispute») Affirmation of the triumph of the highest truth (the truth of religious revelation), the sacrament. On the opposite wall is the best fresco of the Vatican stanzas, the greatest creation of Raphael " School of athens». « School of athens"Symbolizes the rational search for truth by philosophy and science. V " Athens school»The painter depicted a collection of ancient thinkers and scientists.

Third fresco by Stanza della Senyatura " Parnassus"- the embodiment of the idea of ​​Bello - Beauty, Beauty. This fresco depicts Apollo surrounded by muses, playing the viola with inspiration, below are famous and unnamed poets, playwrights, prose writers, mostly antique (Homer, Sappho, Alkey, Virgil, Dante, Petrarch ...). Allegorical scene opposite " Parnassus”, Glorifies (Bene) Good, Good. This idea is personified by the figures of Wisdom, Measure and Power, rhythmically united by the figures of little geniuses. Three of which symbolize virtues - Faith, Hope, Mercy.

Raphael was engaged in monumental painting until the last years of his life. The surviving drawings by Raphael vividly reveal the originality of the artist's creative method, the preparation and implementation of the main task of the work. The main goal is to create a complete and complete composition.

During the years of his work in Rome, Raphael received many orders for the execution of portraits. The portraits created by him are simple, strict in composition, the main, the most significant, inimitable stands out in the person's appearance: “ Portrait of the cardinal», « Portrait of the writer Baldassare Castiglione"(Friend of Raphael) ...

And in Raphael's easel painting, the theme with the Madonna remains the same theme: “ Madonna Alba"(1509)," Madonna in the chair"(1514-1515), altar paintings -" Madonna di Foligno"(1511-1512)," St. Cecilia"(1514).

The greatest creation of Raphael's easel painting " Sistine Madonna"(1513-1514). Royally - the stately human intercessor descends to earth. Madonna hugs the little Christ to her, but her embraces are ambiguous: they contain both love and parting - she gives him to people for suffering and torment. Madonna is moving and motionless. She remains in her sublime ideal world and goes to the earthly world. Mary always brings her son to people - the embodiment, the symbol of the highest humanity, beauty and greatness of sacrificial motherly love. Raphael created the image of the Mother of God, understandable to everyone.

The last years of Raphael's life were devoted to various fields of activity. V 1514 year he was appointed to lead the construction of St. Peter's Basilica, supervised the progress of all construction and repair work in the Vatican. He created architectural projects for the Church of Sant Eligio degli Orefici (1509), Palazzo Pandolfini in Florence, Villa Madama.

V 1515-1516 years, together with his students, he created carpets for carpets intended for decoration on the holidays of the Sistine Chapel.

The last piece is “ Transformation"(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 High Renaissance. Raphael was born to express the ideals of the Renaissance, the dream of a wonderful person and a wonderful world.

Raphael died at the age of 37, April 6, 1520... The great artist is buried with all the honors in the Pantheon. Raphael remained the pride of Italy and all mankind for centuries.