An authoritative introduction to one of the most influential painters in the history of art
written by the pre-eminent authority on the subject and informed by the latest research. More
versatile and less idiosyncratic than Michelangelo more prolific and accessible than his
mentor Leonardo da Vinci Raphael though he died at only thirty-seven is considered the
single most influential artist of the Renaissance. Here art historian Paul Joannides explores
the different social and regional contexts of Raphael's work and discusses all aspects of his
artistic output. He traces Raphael's career from his origins in Urbino through his altarpieces
made in Umbria in the shadow of Perugino to the first flowering of his genius in Florence
where he painted a series of iconic Madonnas that are among the most beloved images in Western
art. Raphael's employment by the dynamic and demanding Pope Julius II gave him opportunities
without parallel and encouraged the full expansion of his genius. As a sophisticate
entrepreneur he dominated Rome's artistic life and extended the range of his activities to
that of architect designer pioneer archaeologist and theoretician. The foundation of
Raphael's versatility and range was his supreme clarity of mind as a draughtsman. Knowledge of
his drawings on which Joannides is a leading expert is central to understanding of his
achievement and they are thoroughly explored here.
