The Charmer

           Raphael of Urbino, according to Vasari, was born in 1483 on Good Friday.  Whether truth or not it provides an interesting comparison between the Savior and the artist on Vasari’s part – an artist who apparently possessed the “moral habits” that those of his talented counterparts did not. 

close of up Michelangelo's portrait, School of Athens
photo courtesy of Wikipedia CC

            Raphael first studied under Pietro Perugino in Perugia as a youth.  Quickly surpassing his master’s style, he moved onto other towns before arriving in Florence.  Vasari writes that Raphael extolled the city, as well as its two great masters – Leonardo and Michelangelo.  Leonardo, born in 1452, was too old to be contemporary with Raphael, unlike Michelangelo.  Much opposite in demeanor, charming Raphael worked for Pope Julius II on a room in his apartment while Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel.  His famous fresco School of Athens exemplifies his keen ability to improve his techniwue through observation.  In this one piece alone, there is one figure more beautiful than the rest – the figure of Michelangelo.  Raphael added this portrait after viewing Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel as homage to his talent.  In this last addition Raphael adapted Michelangelo’s lifelike fresco style with color and shading, causing it stand out from the fresco as a whole.

School of Athens, photo courtesy of Wikipedia CC

            Vasari writes that as an adult, Raphael strived to alter his style to match that of Michelangelo’s.  He abandoned the style of Pietro to study the human body as Michelangelo did.  However, Raphael realized he would never surpass the master in that style, and instead “began to attain great versatility in all those other aspects of painting.”

            At the youthful age of 37, Raphael died and was buried in the Pantheon in Rome, where he gained great fame and was beloved by its people.