170 Masterpieces, One Legend: The Met Unveils Raphael Like Never Before

What made Raphael one of the most admired artists in history? How did a man who died at just 37 leave behind a legacy so powerful that centuries later he came to symbolize artistic perfection? The Metropolitan Museum of Art invites viewers inside Raphael: Sublime Poetry, a landmark exhibition that brings together more than 170 […]

Raphael, Madonna of the Goldfinch

The Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphae, one of the greatest masterpieces in early 16th-century Florence The Madonna del Cardellino (Madonna of the Goldfinch) is a famous Renaissance painting by Raphael, created around 1506, depicting the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and Saint John the Baptist in a natural setting, with Saint John offering a goldfinch to […]

Raphael, Galatea

The painting relates to the story of the nymph Galatea which Ovid had borrowed from the Sicilian poet Theocritus and narrated in his Metamorphoses (13:750-768). Galatea was in love with the young Acis but the Cyclop Polyphemus (depicted in the adjacent lunette by Sebastiano del Piombo), jealous of the youth, killed Acis by throwing at […]

Raphael, Marriage of the Virgin

Raphael’s Marriage of the Virgin, 1504, oil on panel, 174 cm × 121 cm / 69 in × 48 in (Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan) Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris & Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.    

Raphael Exhibition at the Met Next Year: Sublime Poetry

Dive into the artistic process of one of history’s most beloved and influential artists. A true titan of the Italian Renaissance, Raffaello di Giovanni Santi (1483–1520)—better known as Raphael—matched ambition with lyricism to create works with both intellectual heft and emotional depth, a necessary skill in the complex political landscape of Renaissance courts. In his […]

Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (Raphael): Great Art Ep.7

In 1504, Raphael goes to make a name for himself in the city of Florence, already inhabited by the giants Michelangelo and Leonardo. The young artist is soon given the opportunity to work on the Pope’s Rooms in Rome, and creates a masterpiece on every wall. The “Stanza della Segnatura” is dedicated to four intellectual […]

The School of Athens (Raphael): Great Art Ep.4

The Renaissance was the revival of the ancient world through the spirit of the modern Christian world, and no work better represents this epoch than Raphael’s “The School of Athens.” Plato and Aristotle, the giants of ancient Western philosophy, and heroes of Raphael, walk toward us, flanked by a monumental gathering of Greek philosophers in […]

On Renaissance, Great Art Ep.1

What makes the Renaissance great? Why are the Big Three practically considered saints, and how much did Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael really transform art? Join us as Columbia Professor David Rosand explains the poetry in the paintings of these Italian High Renaissance masters, and shows us how the stories depicted in some of […]

8 Must-See Paintings At The Uffizi Gallery

1- The Ognissanti Madonna, Giotto Any art enthusiast will appreciate the Uffizi’s varied collection. Giotto’s enormous altarpiece from 1305 is located in Room 2, between two other works of art that have become famous in this space: Santa Trinita Maestà and Duccio di Buoninsegna’s Rucellai Madonna. Along with other outstanding works created in Florence during […]

Drawing the Italian Renaissance: How artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo & Raphael worked

During the Italian Renaissance, generally held to be the period 1400 – 1600, drawing became a much more important part of an artist’s creative process. With paper becoming cheaper as a result of the book printing revolution in the 1500s, an artist could use it wastefully in a more experimental manner. Find out more about […]