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Raphael: Works
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Raphael was one of the finest draftsmen in the history of Western art, and used drawings extensively to plan his compositions. According to a near-contemporary, when beginning to plan a composition, he would lay out a large number of stock drawings of his on the floor, and begin to draw "rapidly", borrowing figures from here and there.[49] Over forty sketches survive for the Disputa in the Stanze, and there may well have been many more originally; over four hundred sheets survive altogether.[50] He used different drawings to refine his poses and compositions, apparently to a greater extent than most other painters, to judge by the number of variants that survive: "... This is how Raphael himself, who was so rich in inventiveness, used to work, always coming up with four or six ways to show a narrative, each one different from the rest, and all of them full of grace and well done." wrote another writer after his death.[51] For John Shearman, Raphael's art marks "a shift of resources away from production to research and development".[52]
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Raphael's final paintings are some of his most powerful religious works. The Sistine Madonna is his last image of the heavenly mother. It is much more supernatural than his previous works, as Mary treads on pillowy clouds and is surrounded by musing angels. The return of such supernatural images will influence the works of the Mannerist painters, who emulate the dramatic style of Raphael's later works.
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As earlier with Perugino and others, Raphael was able to assimilate the influence of Florentine art, whilst keeping his own developing style. Frescos in Perugia of about 1505 show a new monumental quality in the figures which may represent the influence of Fra Bartolomeo, who Vasari says was a friend of Raphael. But the most striking influence in the work of these years is Leonardo da Vinci, who returned to the city from 1500 to 1506. Raphael's figures begin to take more dynamic and complex positions, and though as yet his painted subjects are still mostly tranquil, he made drawn studies of fighting nude men, one of the obsessions of the period in Florence. Another drawing is a portrait of a young woman that uses the three-quarter length pyramidal composition of the just-completed "Mona Lisa", but still looks completely Raphaelesque. Another of Leonardo's compositional inventions, the pyramidal Holy Family, was repeated in a series of works that remain among his most famous easel paintings.
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From 1504 to 1508 Raphael worked mainly in Florence. His work became grander in scale, possibly due to the influence of Leonardo and Michelangelo. At this time he began to paint about religious themes such as 'Ansidei Madonna' (1505) and Madonna del Baldacchino' (1505). In 1508 Raphael's reputation was such that an invitation was extended to him from Pope Julius II to paint frescos in the Vatican. The Stanza della Segnatura was completed in 1511 and after its completion Raphael was commissioned
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Raphael was very amorous, and fond of women, and was always swift to serve them. Possibly his friends showed him too much complaisance in the matter. Thus, when Agostino Chigi, his close friend, employed him to paint the first loggia in his palace, Raphael neglected the work for one of his mistresses. Agostino, in despair, had the lady brought to his house to live in the part where Raphael was at work, contriving this with difficulty by the help of others. That is why the work was completed. Raphael did all the cartoons of this work, and coloured many figures in fresco with his own hand.
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Raphael was born in Urbino. His father was highly influential on his son's painting but after his death when Raphael was only 11, Pietro Perrugino probably became his biggest influence. Raphael worked in Tuscany and Umbria and was an independent artist by 1500. One of his first major commissions was the 'Coronation of St. Nicholas of Tolentino' (1500-1501) for S. Agostino, Città di Castello.
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