Who Was Raphael?

Meet Raphael Born Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance . . .	Vasari on Raphael In his famous book, Lives of the Artists, Vasari called Raphael a "genius" and a "mortal god". He also gave us the juiciest details on Raphael's love life . . .	Did Raphael marry La Fornarina? An x-ray says yes . . .
Madonna della Seggiola This is may be Raphael's "cuddliest" Madonna and Child.	La Fornarina This is the painting of the woman Vasari called the one “whom [Raphael] loved until he died.”	La Donna Velata Is this La Fornarina too?
Madonna and Child Note the chubby baby and peaceful mother.	Madonna and Child A quintessential Raphael Madonna and Child.	The Colonna Altarpiece The painting that Theo and Bodhi found ethereal, refined, and . . . eh.
Pope Julius II This portrait depicts the most powerful man in Renaissance Europe, warts and all.	Elisabetta Gonzaga Unlike Raphael's perfect Madonnas, his portrait of this noblewoman captures her true character.	Tommaso Inghirami Raphael masked but didn't hide this clergyman's strabismus, or lazy eye.
Raphael self-portrait Lydon thinks Theo is hiding this Raphael portrait, missing since World War II (but in actuality, recently discovered in a European bank vault!).	Self-portrait with Friend Raphael's (left) hair style and beard are what tip off Theo to her painting's true subject matter.

In UNDER THE EGG, Theo was right when she called the painter Raphael one of the "Big Three" of the Italian Renaissance. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, these three artists defined the philosophy and style of the Renaissance and influenced other artists for centuries to come.

Follow the links below to find out more about Raphael and to see some of the paintings referenced in UNDER THE EGG..

LAURA MARX FITZGERALD

Meet Raphael

Born Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance . . .

Vasari on Raphael

In his famous book, Lives of the Artists, Vasari called Raphael a "genius" and a "mortal god". He also gave us the juiciest details on Raphael's love life . . .

Did Raphael marry La Fornarina?

An x-ray says yes . . .

Madonna della Seggiola

This is may be Raphael's "cuddliest" Madonna and Child.

La Fornarina

This is the painting of the woman Vasari called the one “whom [Raphael] loved until he died.”

La Donna Velata

Is this La Fornarina too?

Madonna and Child

Note the chubby baby and peaceful mother.

Madonna and Child

A quintessential Raphael Madonna and Child.

The Colonna Altarpiece

The painting that Theo and Bodhi found ethereal, refined, and . . . eh.

Pope Julius II

This portrait depicts the most powerful man in Renaissance Europe, warts and all.

Elisabetta Gonzaga

Unlike Raphael's perfect Madonnas, his portrait of this noblewoman captures her true character.

Tommaso Inghirami

Raphael masked but didn't hide this clergyman's strabismus, or lazy eye.

Raphael self-portrait

Lydon thinks Theo is hiding this Raphael portrait, missing since World War II (but in actuality, recently discovered in a European bank vault!).

Self-portrait with Friend

Raphael's (left) hair style and beard are what tip off Theo to her painting's true subject matter.