Raphael's Accomplishments

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From the 14th century to the 17th century, Europe went through a period known as the Renaissance. Renaissance, meaning rebirth, was the link between the Middle Ages and our current modern history. It was an era rich in culture that carried a fascination with humans and sophistication. In this period of time, the rise in , classical learning, humanism -which was a focus on human philosophy-, and modern beliefs took place and allowed artistic and intellectual developments to take place 8. Art became the spirit of the Renaissance, and achieved its highest development while becoming its own branch of knowledge 8. With many gifted artists, such as Raphael, the Renaissance reached its apogee in sophisticated culture through the development of art …show more content…
Raphael was from a family of painters and as a young child would help his father, Federico Il da Montefeltro with his job as a court painter for the Duke of Urbino 7. When Raphael was four years old his mother passed away, and at twelve years old was orphaned after his father passed away. He began living with this Uncle Bartolomeo where he showed signs of artistry. To show his talent to his Uncle, Raphael did a self-portrait around the age of fifteen or sixteen, which is the earliest known example of his work 7. After witnessing his talent, his uncle Bartolomeo allowed Raphael to pursue a painting career, and he became an apprentice under Pietro Perugino, who was an Umbrian master. By 1501, Raphael was considered to to be a master painter. Throughout Raphael’s career, his art could be classified into three distinct categories: Early Career in which his art was difficult to differentiate from his teacher due to the similar style in technique that he learned during his apprenticeship, The Florentine period which consisted of his art during the four years he spent in Florentine, and his final years, in which he produced his best artwork 7. In 1502, Raphael was commissioned to do his first …show more content…
The “Sistine Madonna” illustrates the “Madonna” or Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. Along each side of the Madonna is Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara. Beneath the feet of the Madonna are two cherubs, which are considered to be the most famous image to characterize the cherub image 5. Although “The School of Athens” is considered among most to be Raphael’s masterpiece, in Germany, “Sistine Madonna” is viewed as one of the finest paintings ever created by critics and is popular all around Germany