Raffael

Raffael Sanzio or Raffael was an Italian painter and architect of the Florentinischen school in the High Renaissance, famed for the endowed perfection of his pictures. He was also called Raffael Sanzio, Raffael Santi, Raffael there Urbino or Rafaello Sanzio there Urbino.

Raffael was born in Urbino. His father, Giovanni Santi, was also a painter at the court of Urbino. His mother and father soon died. With eleven becomes an orphan, Raffael to his uncle Bartolomeo, to a priest became entrusted. Raffael had already shown talent. He led the studio of his father, probably together with his stepmother. He came to Urbino in contact with the works of Paolo Uccello and Luca Signorelli.

His first documented work was an altarpiece for the church San Nicola von Tolentino in Citta Tu Castello. During the following years he painted there also for other churches.

At the age of 20 years Raffael went to Florence where he was introduced to Leonardo da Vinci to whom he never stopped admiring as a mentor's figure and father-figure and Michelangelo. Raffael learnt from both men, but while he made use of her investigation of the human anatomy, he added feeling to his pictures. The time of Raffael in Florence was very productive. The pictures of Raffael were bright under a strong influence of Vinci There with his pyramidal compositions, contours, the balance and interplay and were dark and "Sfumato" (extremely fine, softy shading instead of the line to outline forms and qualities), while others reveal a 'michelangelische' inspiration.

He went for end 1508 to Rome and was asked by Julius II immediately to paint some of the rooms in his palace in Vatican. This marked a turning point, he was only 25 years old. He remained almost exclusively in the service of Julius and his successor Leo X. Er a row of the fresco paintings painted in the papal flats as well as those of "Strophe della Segnatura" which enclose his gigantic school of Athens.

For some time he was the most important architect as well as painter in Rome. One of his most important papal orders was Raffael Entwürfe (now Viktoria and museum of Albert), a row of 10 draughts for wall carpets with scenes from the life of the saint Peter and Paul which were intended as a wall decoration for the Sistine chapel.

Raffael who lived in Rome in Borgo had never married. He died prematurely of the Good Friday 6th April 1520.