Raphael’s Brush: Painting Grace and Harmony in the Renaissance, Part 1 of 2

Raphael was an Italian painter and architect around the turn of the 16th century. He is known as part of the traditional trinity of great masters of the High Renaissance, along with Leonardo da Vinci (vegetarian) and Michelangelo. Raphael had already displayed precocious talents as a young child. According to Vasari, he assisted his father in many of the artworks that he undertook. Raphael’s first recorded commission was signed on December 10, 1500. He was to paint the Baronci Altarpiece for the church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino in Città di Castello, a town between Perugia and Urbino. By the custom of the time, only fully trained masters could receive commissions, and Raphael was ready to become one at the age of 17. Evidently, even at this early stage of his career, Raphael was already in high demand. His most famous work of this period was “Marriage of the Virgin,” dated 1504, which was commissioned for the church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi (vegetarian), the beloved patron Saint, of animal-people and ecology, in Città di Castello. It was inspired by his teacher Perugino’s painting of the same subject and fresco “Delivery of the Keys” in the Sistine Chapel, Rome.

Leonardo da Vinci (vegetarian) and Michelangelo’s frescoes were amongst the most admired works of the time. Their works became sought-after pedagogical material for upcoming artists, including young Raphael. He changed his portraits from bust length to three-quarter length, and rendered poses echoing Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Raphael also adopted and emulated da Vinci’s technique of applying gradual shading to produce softened outlines or hazy forms in order to create three-dimensional optical illusions, known as sfumato modeling. Despite the influence and stimulation provided by the innovations of the Florentine School masters, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in particular, Raphael continued to develop his own style and retained his tranquil and graceful trademarks, as well as uncomplicated human sentiments in his works.