10 interesting facts about Rafael Santi – a brilliant artist and architect

The Italian painter Raphael de Santi (1483-1520) is one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance. Having lived a very short life (he died at the age of 37), the artist left behind many unsurpassed portraits, famous frescoes, etc. The main thing in his work is the image of the Mother of God.

In addition to engaging in artistic activities, Rafael Santi was an outstanding architect, graphic artist and poet. He accompanied some of his drawings with sonnets. His art combined: the soft gracefulness and refined painting of Perugino, the creative thought of Michelangelo and the mystery of da Vinci’s portraits.

Of course, a lot can be said about the Italian painter, which we will do now. We tried to collect the most interesting facts about Rafael Santi.

10 The first work of Raphael – “Madonna and Child”

The main image in the artist’s paintings is the Madonna. Santi wrote his famous “Madonna and Child” at a very young age – at that time he was 17 years old. In this picture, the spirit of masterful execution and brilliance is not yet felt, but they are characteristic of the later works of Rafael Santi.

But in the Madonna and Child there are other features that I want to highlight: this is a subtle lyric that pervades the entire canvas, nature behind the Madonna with blossoming buds speaks of a new life. In the picture, the Virgin is busy reading – it also captivated the baby.

9. Studied painting with the artist Pietro Perugino

The Italian artist was introduced to the basics of painting by his father, Giovanni Santi (1435-1494), later he studied with the painter Pietro Perugino (1446-1524) in Perugia, later becoming the greatest artist of that time.

In Perugia, Santi painted his first major work, The Betrothal of Mary (1504). Initially, the artist copied the style of his teacher, and a little later developed his own style of painting. It has become unique, because Santi’s canvases are pure in colors, the figures on them have regular shapes, they are light.

8. Born in the family of a court painter

While still a teenager, Santi inherited his father’s property – Giovanni Santi, who served as a painter at the court of Urbino Federico da Montefeltro. Giovanno Santi taught his son, Duke Guidobaldo, art.

Rafael was born when his father was 50 years old, and Giovanni saw in him hereditary talent and was even able to attach his son as a student to maestro Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci.

Rafael became the favorite painter of those in power – he easily and comfortably felt in secular society, despite his low origin. His father died when the boy was 11 years old, he was left a complete orphan.

7. He was the chief architect of St. Peter’s Basilica

Rafael Santi was not only an artist, but also an architect. For some time he was the chief architect of St. Peter’s in Rome.. He was appointed to this important and responsible post in 1514 – then the cathedral was still under construction, and it was necessary to replace the deceased Donato Bromante, for whom, without any exaggeration, St. Peter’s Cathedral was the most important thing in life.

Death prevented Rafael Santi from realizing his architectural idea to the end. What is interesting is that each of the architects working on the creation of the temple contributed something of his own, perhaps that is why the building turned out to be so unique.

6. ‘Head of a Young Apostle’ sold at auction for £29

Raphael Santi’s head of a young apostle sold for £29 at Sotheby’s Old Masters auction. After a tense 17-minute argument, the circle of applicants closed when the phone rang. The drawing was acquired by an anonymous buyer, and the hall gave a storm of applause to its owner.

“The head of a young apostle” is the most expensive graphics in the world and the most expensive work of the great Santi. The work is second only to Rubens’ Massacre of the Innocents, a painting that was sold at public auction.

5. Was in love with Marguerite Luti

When Rafael Santi met Margarita Luti – the girl was at that time an ordinary baker. However, the beautiful life that the artist surrounded her turned Margarita into a vicious girl. Without hesitation, she started affairs on the side, and soon became a famous courtesan.

Santi met Margherita while working for Agostino Chigi, decorating his villa with frescoes. For one of his frescoes, he could not find a model in any way, and one day, walking in the territory of the villa, Raphael met a beautiful girl – the 17-year-old daughter of a baker.

Her father agreed that Margarita posed for the artist, spending a lot of time with her, Raphael realized that he had fallen in love with her, but the girl was already engaged to a shepherd. The artist, who offered her father 3 gold coins, was able to correct this situation… He began to “bath” his beloved in luxury, but this ruined the girl from a simple family.

Many believe that Margarita’s promiscuity and her inappropriate behavior violated Raphael’s health – he passed away when he was 37 years old, bequeathing his entire fortune to his beloved.

4. Received an invitation from Pope Julius II

In 1508, Pope Julius II invited Raphael to Rome to decorate the room with frescoes.. The students helped him in this. There are 4 fresco compositions in each room – each of them occupies one wall.

The murals are distinguished by the depth of conception, figurative richness and compositional clarity. The subject of the painting: 4 spheres of spiritual human activity: Philosophy, Theology, Jurisprudence and, of course, Poetry. The space is covered with allegorical figures.

3. During his life he painted more than 40 Madonnas

For his short but fruitful life Rafael Santi painted 42 paintings with the image that became the main one in his work – the image of the Madonna.

The artist painted the first Virgin Mary in 1502, while still a student of Perugino. After this period, he began to write them all his life.

The Sistine Madonna is the most famous of all the images of the Mother of God, belonging to the masterpieces of the Renaissance. Deep wisdom and tender sadness are reflected in the Madonna’s eyes. The work of Raphael Santi inspired writers and poets of the 19th century.

2. Raphael depicted Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in the “School of Athens” frescoes

The “School of Athens” is one of the four frescoes – Philosophy. In the guise of Greek philosophers, Raphael portrayed his contemporaries: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo.

Rafael Santi tried to portray their relevance and great significance. The fresco, immersed in deep thought, depicts Heraclitus of Ephesus, a philosopher lamenting human recklessness. In fact, this man is Michelangelo. Shaken by his talent, Santi thus gave him praise.

1. Mercury crater named after Raphael

Craters on the planet Mercury are named after prominent artists: writers, sculptors, artists, etc. So it was decided by the International Astronomical Union.

In honor of the great artist Rafael Santi was named 350 km. crater, it is noteworthy that other largest craters were named after such prominent personalities as Tolstoy, Vyas, Mistral, Beethoven, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, etc.