Raphael has always been one of my very favorite artists due to his compelling work in painting, and the content that he chose to picture in his art. He worked in the same era as Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci in the high renaissance period. My favorite work of his has to be "The School of Athens" which is present in the Vatican. I love how he references historical figures that he admired, as well as showcasing his ability to use point perspective to give the painting depth and make it lifelike. Additionally, I find Raphael a very compelling artist due to his tendency to paint self-portraits. Many artists want to be recognized for their work, so I find it entertaining that Raphael made himself the subject of many of his works to point out how highly he thought of himself as a painter. He mainly painted oil on canvas but also completed many drawings and some architecture in his lifetime. After a two week long illness at the age of only thirty-seven, Raphael passed away and was buried in the Pantheon.
Three informational website links about Raphael:
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Raphael-Italian-painter-and-architect - This website provides a great short biography on Raphael. It provides information on his various life periods and the major art that he produced. It is a very reliable source and would be great for researching before writing an essay on him.
- https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/raphael - This website provides a brief synapse of who Raphael was, but is most useful due to its visual images of his work. It includes photos, titles, and descriptions of all of his most famous art. This site would be a good source for seeing and analyzing photos of his paintings.
- https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/raphael.html - This website has a detailed but concise description of Raphael's life and works, but should be most noted for its slideshow of several of his most famous works. It is a very reliable website to find a brief description of this artist along with showing viewers a good sample of his work. It would be best for just learning a few facts about Raphael, not necessarily an essay research resource.
