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Michelangelo and Raphael were to some extent the creation of Julius: without him Michelangelo would not have painted the Sistine ceiling, nor would Raphael have decorated the papal apartments. Kenneth Clark, Civilisation 5/13: The Hero as Artist, BBC 1969
Raphael was above all a man of his age. Even in his early work still painted in the clear self-contained style of the fifteenth century he has begun to absorb and harmonise all that was being felt or thought by the finest spirits of his time. He is the supreme harmoniser. ibid.
For centuries Raphael’s painting was held to be the most complete expression of the values of the Italian Renaissance. While his older contemporaries sought to re-produce Nature, Raphael sought nurture and an idealised vision of the world. He was a sensualist whose work was graceful and harmonious, and for many in his world came closest to visual perfection. Great Artists With Tim Marlow s1e5: Raphael, Sky Arts 2003
One subject among all others – the Madonna and child. ibid.
Raphael continued to thrive in Rome. He was universally admired for his painting and also for his manners. ibid.
For the next four centuries in many respects Raphael was the dominant figure in western art. ibid.
We’ve forgotten how to value the Renaissance. We can learn how radical it was looking at them in great detail. Seeing how the micro relates to the macro. And by thinking about it in a new way. Matthew Collings, Renaissance Revolution: Raphael, BBC 2010
Raphael paints himself at 22. His life story is a fabulous dream of artistic extremes. ibid.
Realism, technique – there are painting elements here that make you feel you are seeing reality. And the main one is colour. ibid.
And again, in medieval art, truth is first, beauty second; in modern art, beauty is first, truth second. The medieval principles led up to Raphael, and the modern principles lead down from him. John Ruskin, Pre-Raphaelitism
Raphael – the prince of painters. One of the three Renaissance gods. Raphael: In Search of Beauty, Sky Arts 2016
Many of his paintings capture this magic light, and the gaze of a beautiful woman. ibid.
A meticulous attention to detail ... One of the greatest artists of all time. ibid.
‘The Pope asks him to paint his private apartments.’ ibid.
He revolutionised the concept of the artist’s studio. ibid.
Florence, 1478: The ruling Medici family has been attacked by rivals in the city’s cathedral. The patriarch Lorenzo is injured. His brother is murdered. Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty I, caption, BBC 2024
‘I knew that this world was not one of beauty and creation alone, but also of blood and betrayal.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Out of the turmoil, three men emerge who will change Western art for ever: Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael. ibid.
15th-century Florence is famous for banking, trade, and above all, the skill of its artists. ibid. narrator
In the Medici household, Michelangelo is schooled in radical new ideas. ibid.
Lorenzo identifies a Florentine artist down on his luck and looking for patronage. He is 23 years older than Michelangelo, and his name is Leonardo da Vinci. ibid.
Leonardo joins Sforza’s court in Milan and pleases his patron. ibid.
Michelangelo, 1492: Battle of the Centaurs. ibid.
Into the vacuum steps a religious zealot: Girolamo Savonarola. ibid.
‘Thus I left Florence, and made my way for the first time in my life to Rome.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Michelangelo 1496-97: Bacchus. ibid. caption
Michelangelo is out of work once again. ibid. narrator
Leonardo da Vinci, 1495-98: The Last Supper. ibid. caption
Savonarola: The Bomfire of the Vanities. ibid.
Michelangelo, 1498-99: Pietà. ibid.
Florence, 1501: At 26 Michelangelo is the rising star of Renaissance Italy. For 5 years he has been establishing himself as a talented sculpture in Italy. Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty II
Also returning is the superstar artist of the day, Leonardo da Vinci. He’s been away in Milan building a dazzling reputation. ibid.
In these brutal times, rulers need money, military might, and masterpieces. ibid.
They torun on Savonarola, hang him, burn his body, and throw his remains in the river. ibid.
‘Nobody quite gets to the orbit of Leonardo da Vinci.’ ibid. biographer
Leonardo da Vinci, 1501-08: The Burlington House Cartoon. ibid.
‘And now I had the chance to prove him wrong with my David.’ iibid. Michelangelo
‘David totally changes the conception of sculpture.’ ibid. Gormley
With Michelangelo and Leonardo fixated on fighting each other, neither notices the new arrival of a disruptive threat to their reputations. 21-yearold Raphael Santi is a boy wonder. ibid.
Raphael, 1508: Combat of Nude Men. ibid.
Leonardo’s secret blend of oil and pigment fails to dry. The paint smears and his work is ruined. ibid.
As Florence declines, the fortunes of Rome are on the rise. ibid.
Everything now hangs in the balance for Michaelangelo. ibid.
‘Raphael wangled himself a small commission painting the walls of the Pope’s apartment.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Raphael, 1509-10: Disputation of the Holy Sacrament. ibid.
Florence, 1530: Over three decades Michelangelo has won fame and prestige creating masterpieces for Italy’s most powerful rulers. But these are brutal dangerous times and an age of almsost constant war. Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty III
‘Once you start to mix art and money, then it’s a lethal cocktail.’ ibid. comment
Rome, 1509: Michelangelo is working on the biggest commission of his life … While he struggles on, his greatest rivals thrive. ibid.
Raphael, 1509-11: The School of Athens. ibid.
‘Michelangelo is driven on by Raphael’s success. But the Sistine ceiling is a mammoth task.’ ibid.
Raphael, 1511: Pope Julius II. ibid.
Michelangelo, 1508-12: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling. ibid.
‘All I wanted to do was sculpt.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Leonardo da Vinci, 1503-19: Mona Lisa. ibid.
‘We all lost something when Leonardo died.’ ibid. Michelangelo
Leo chooses the reliable Raphael to make ten lavish tapestries. ibid.
Raphael, 1515: The Raphael Cartoons. ibid.
Raphael is enjoying all the rewards of being Leo’s golden boy. ibid.
‘Now they’re all dying: Leonardo 1519, Raphael 1520. So, yes, it does affect Michelangelo’s drive and motivation.’ ibid. comment