Leo Martínez
The Sistine Chapel, built within the Vatican between 1477 and 1480, is renowned for its ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo. While Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel, Raphael, his contemporary, was commissioned by Pope Julius II to decorate the four Raphael Rooms, now part of the Vatican Museums. Raphael also designed tapestries for the lower walls of the Sistine Chapel, one of his most important papal commissions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does Raphael have a painting in the Sistine Chapel? | No, but he designed a set of tapestries for the lowest of three levels of the Sistine Chapel walls. |
| Where are Raphael's paintings located? | The Raphael Rooms, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City, Vatican Museums. |
| How many Raphael Rooms are there? | Four |
| What are the four paintings in the Raphael Rooms? | The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple, The Mass at Bolsena, The Meeting of Pope Leo I and Attila, and The Deliverance of Saint Peter from Prison. |
| What other artworks did Raphael create? | The Baptism of Constantine, The Donation of Constantine, The Prime Mover, The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, The School of Athens, The Parnassus, The Disputa, Cecilia and the Sistine Madonna, Transfiguration, Il Spasimo, Triumph of Galatea, Madonna of the Pinks, and Sistine Madonna. |
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What You'll Learn
Raphael's frescoes in the Raphael Rooms
Raphael, recognised as the 'Prince of Painters', was commissioned by Pope Julius II to decorate the four Raphael Rooms (Stanze di Raffaello) in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. These rooms, now part of the Vatican Museums, are famous for their frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop.
The four rooms decorated by Raphael and his assistants are the Sala di Costantino ("Hall of Constantine"), the Stanza di Eliodoro ("Room of Heliodorus"), the Stanza della Segnatura ("Room of the Signatura"), and the Stanza dell'Incendio del Borgo ("The Room of the Fire in the Borgo"). The Stanza della Segnatura is considered the most important room in the Stanze, as it was the first to be decorated by Raphael and is believed to signal the beginning of the High Renaissance.
The frescoes in the Sala di Costantino were not started until after the deaths of Pope Julius II and Raphael himself in 1520. The completion of the project was overseen by Raphael's assistants, Gianfrancesco Penni, Giulio Romano, and Raffaellino del Colle. The frescoes in this room represent the victory of Christianity over paganism, with depictions of the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine.
The frescoes in the other three rooms were completed during Raphael's lifetime, with the first two rooms being painted while Pope Julius II was still alive. In these rooms, Raphael included flattering depictions of his patron, Pope Julius II, as a participant or observer. The third room, the Stanza della Segnatura, was painted after Julius II's death in 1513, and includes a portrait of his successor, Leo X.
The frescoes in the Raphael Rooms provide a unique insight into the culture of the High Renaissance and are considered masterpieces in their own right, even if they are not as famous as neighbouring works due to less involvement by Raphael himself in the actual painting.
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Raphael's tapestries in the Sistine Chapel
Raphael, the 'Prince of Painters', was a renowned Renaissance artist. He was apprenticed to the artist Perugino, who was a key figure in the first decorations to adorn the Sistine Chapel. However, it wasn't long before Raphael became famous in his own right.
Raphael designed a set of tapestries for the Sistine Chapel, which were woven at the workshop of Pieter van Aelst in Brussels. They were commissioned by Pope Leo X, a year or two after his accession to the throne of St Peter in 1513. The tapestries were intended to complete and compete with the ceiling painted by Michelangelo.
The tapestries were hung on the lowest of three levels, directly below the strip of frescoes just under the chapel's windows. They were the last part of the decoration of the Sistine Chapel. They were woven with fine wool, silk, and threads of silver and gold. The subjects of the tapestries were the lives of St Peter and St Paul, the two apostles represented as the founders of the Christian Church in Rome.
The tapestries were displayed on special occasions, such as during the feast of St Stephen in 1519, when Pope Leo X ordered the display of seven of the ten tapestries he had commissioned. In 2020, all ten surviving tapestries were hung together in the Sistine Chapel for the first time since the 16th century, to mark the 500th anniversary of Raphael's death.
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Raphael's rivalry with Michelangelo
Michelangelo and Raphael's rivalry is considered one of the greatest artistic rivalries in history. Both artists were working on similar projects in Vatican City at the same time, with Raphael working on the frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
The roots of their rivalry can be traced back to their respective work in the Vatican in 1508. Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to redecorate the Sistine Chapel, who also commissioned Raphael to decorate his living quarters, now known as the Raphael Rooms. The young Raphael was so overcome by Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel that he arranged a secret visit to the chapel with the help of Bramante, the architect of the new Saint Peter's Basilica. Vasari's "Life of Raphael" recounts that Raphael was so inspired by Michelangelo's prophets that he returned to a painting of Isaiah he had previously completed and repainted it in a more powerful style, imitating Michelangelo.
Michelangelo was known for his difficult personality, solitary nature, and stormy relations with patrons and assistants. He was also a devout Catholic who led a spartan existence. In contrast, Raphael was easy-going, pleasure-loving, and popular. He was idolised during his lifetime and was renowned for his painting abilities from a young age. Michelangelo may have been envious of Raphael's popularity and social skills, in addition to his artistic reputation.
Despite their rivalry, there was mutual admiration between the artists. When asked to estimate the value of Raphael's "The Prophet Isaiah", Michelangelo praised the painting, stating that it was worth the price for the knee alone. Additionally, Raphael's last painting, "The Transfiguration", depicting Christ surrounded by an aura of light, was influenced by Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel finishes.
The rivalry between Michelangelo and Raphael influenced their artistic and personal evolution, and their timeless masterpieces continue to inspire generations of artists.
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Raphael's apprenticeship under Perugino
Raphael, the Italian Renaissance painter and architect, was apprenticed to the renowned Renaissance artist Perugino, whose real name was Pietro Vannunci. Perugino was a key figure in the first decorations to adorn the Sistine Chapel.
Raphael's father, Giovanni Santi, was a painter for the Duke of Urbino, Federigo da Montefeltro. Raphael's father placed him in Perugino's workshop as an apprentice when he was a boy, around the 1490s, although the exact date is unknown. Some sources suggest that Raphael was as young as eight when he began his apprenticeship, while others claim he joined in 1504. By 1500, Raphael was described as a fully trained "master".
During his apprenticeship, Raphael developed his own unique painting style, as seen in his religious works such as the Mond Crucifixion (c. 1502), The Three Graces (c. 1503), and The Knight's Dream (1504). He also created the Oddi altarpiece, Marriage of the Virgin, which he completed in 1504. In his paintings, Raphael confidently marshalled his compositions, often in a somewhat static style reminiscent of Perugino. Their techniques were also very similar, such as the application of paint thickly in shadows and darker garments, but thinly in flesh areas.
In 1504, Raphael left his apprenticeship with Perugino and moved to Florence, where he was heavily influenced by other Italian painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Masaccio. Despite leaving his formal apprenticeship, Raphael continued to study the work of his contemporaries, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
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Raphael's influence on Renaissance art
Raphael, born in Urbino, Italy, in 1483, was a master painter and architect of the Italian High Renaissance. He was highly admired by his contemporaries and was recognised as a talented painter from a young age. He is best known for his Madonnas and large figure compositions in the Vatican.
Raphael's School of Athens, located in the Stanza della Segnatura, a room in Pope Julius II's private apartments in the Vatican, is considered one of his most famous paintings and a significant artwork of the Renaissance. The Stanza della Segnatura is located next door to the Sistine Chapel, and Raphael's The Prime Mover (1509-1511) was painted at the same time as Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel's frescoes.
Raphael was influenced by the works of other artists in Florence and Rome, particularly Michelangelo. He was so moved by Michelangelo's prophets in the Sistine Chapel that he repainted his own picture of Isaiah in the Church of Sant'Agostino to imitate Michelangelo's style. This anecdote, recorded by Vasari in his "Life of Raphael", illustrates the profound influence that the Sistine Chapel had on Raphael's work.
Raphael's own work in the Vatican, known as the Raphael Rooms, consists of four reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace, decorated with frescoes painted by Raphael and his workshop. These frescoes, including The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple, The Mass at Bolsena, The Meeting of Pope Leo I and Attila, and The Deliverance of Saint Peter from Prison, are considered masterpieces of the Renaissance and provide valuable insight into the culture of the High Renaissance.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Raphael did not have any paintings in the Sistine Chapel. However, he did design a set of tapestries to cover the lowest of three levels of the chapel walls.
Yes, Raphael is said to have sneaked into the Sistine Chapel to view Michelangelo's unfinished work on the ceiling. Vasari's "Life of Raphael" mentions that Bramante, who had the keys to the chapel, allowed Raphael to enter and examine the paintings in Michelangelo's absence.
Yes, Raphael designed and painted the Loggie at the Vatican, a long thin gallery decorated with Roman-style grottesche. He also created the "Raphael Cartoons", a series of 10 cartoons for tapestries depicting scenes from the lives of Saint Paul and Saint Peter.
