Raphael Biography

Raphael Biography

Full Name: Mr. Raffaello Sanzio
Date of Birth: April 6, 1483
Place of Birth: Urbino, Italy
Died: April 6, 1520
Place of Death: Rome, Italy
Classification: Artists & Entertainers


Known as one of history’s most gifted painters and architects, Raphael became an artist who symbolized the search for new trends during the High Renaissance. While he would always utilize what style fitted his needs, he also worked with his students to set the standard on the direction classical art would take.

From the time he could hold a paintbrush, his father, Giovanni Santi, who was a famous painter in his own right, taught Raphael about technique and stroke. Tragically, Raphael’s father died when he was 11, so his inspiration would be limited. However, his family knew Raphael would be a great artist because of his ability to take a style and make it his own. Following his father’s death, Raphael was sent to the workshop of Perugina, where he focused on classic painting and architecture.

Raphael soon moved to Florence, the art capital of the world in the early 1500s. Just before moving there, one of his famous paintings called Marriage of the Virgin was inspired by the world of the workshop he attended. In Rome, however, Raphael was commissioned to work on his most famous Stanza della Segnatura, which reveals a concept perfectly visualized in his creations. During the completion of this gargantuan project, critics agree this is where Raphael truly defined his own artistic style.

Raphael began receiving commission after commission in light of his growing popularity. Other works that took him years to complete with the help of a handful of assistants, including the Stanza dell’Incedndio finished in 1517. In Raphael’s largest canvas that same year, he began painting the Transfiguration, which began revealing another side of his work – monumental cartoons that depict the life of certain saints.

Besides his canvas works, Raphael also worked on portraits and architecture. Many scholars agree that Raphael also worked to some extent with Donato Bramante from the School of Athens.