Raphael

: This article is about the Renaissance artist. For other uses, please see Raphael (disambiguation).

Major works

Raphael is best known for his Madonnas and Holy families and for his large frescoes in the Vatican Palace. Indeed, in 1509 he was called to Rome to decorate the Vatican Stanze (rooms), for Pope Julius II. The best known of these works are The School of Athens and the Disputation on the Blessed Sacrament, two large, arch-shaped frescoes, the first depicting the philosophers of Antiquity grouped around Plato and Aristotle and the second depicting Christian theologians grouped under Jesus.

Related Topics:
Madonna - Fresco - Vatican - 1509 - Rome - Vatican - Pope Julius II - The School of Athens - Philosopher - Plato - Aristotle - Theologian - Jesus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Under Pope Leo X he was chief architect of Saint Peter's Basilica in 1514 and he was named as a sort of supervisor for Roman archaeology research.

Related Topics:
Pope Leo X - Saint Peter's Basilica - 1514 - Archaeology

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He died on his 37th birthday in Rome (reportedly just weeks before Leo was to invest him as a cardinal), deeply lamented by all who knew his value. His body lay for a while in state in one of the rooms in which he had demonstrated his genius, and he was honoured with a public funeral. His last work, the Transfiguration, was carried before him in the funeral procession. The unrelenting hand of death (says his biographer) set a period to his labours, and deprived the world of further benefit from his talents, when he had only attained an age at which most other men are but beginning to be useful. "We see him in his cradle (said Fuseli); we hear him stammer; but propriety rocked the cradle, and character formed his lips."http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/1/3/8/11387/11387-h/11387-h.htm

Related Topics:
Rome - Cardinal

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was interred in the Pantheon, the country's most honored place.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~