Raphael
Raphael (1483-1520). Italian painter, born Raffaoello Santi. Raphael studied with Perugino and was influenced by the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. In 1508 Pope Julius II summoned’ him to Rome to decorate the papal rooms in the Vatican with frescoes. One of these, The School of Athens, a study of famous Greek philosophers, became an influential model of classical order and balance. Another of Raphael’s most famous works, the Sistine Madonna, reveals his mastery of fine shading and his naturalistic portrayal of the human form. One of the greatest artists of the Italian High Renaissance, Raphael also worked for the pope as an architect on the building of St Peter’s.
