Raphael

Author: Chen Xunming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-10-01
Features: We are delighted to recommend the "Giant Biographies Series" to young friends. At the turn of the century, having such a fine series as companions is a joy in wisdom. We believe that from the footsteps of these giants and masters, you can learn how to properly handle success and failure, comfort and hardship, joy and pain, smoothness and tribulation, understand how to face life, how to learn to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, how to shape oneself, and how to shape the future.
Principal of Peking University, Zhao Yulin Secretary of the Party Committee, Dong Lingsheng
Every great figure with global influence holds a deeply moving story within them. Their rich experiences and life journeys, their spirit of struggle and elements of success, their character for pursuing excellence and their ability to seize opportunities, undoubtedly have a tremendous inspirational and educational role for today's youth.
Principal of Tsinghua University, Zhao Qinggang
Giants are the elite of humanity, they have made outstanding contributions to the progress and civilization of human society, their spirit of struggle and superhuman achievements are deeply admired by people, becoming models for people to learn from. Giants are human, not gods, they come from ordinary people but are above ordinary people. High ideals, the belief of seeking happiness for the motherland and humanity, are the driving force behind their relentless progress and fearlessness of difficulties.
Principal of Tianjin Nankai Middle School, Kang Xiuyan
To carefully read this series of books is like seeing their appearance, speech, and actions, feeling their ideals, beliefs, ambitions, and sentiments, which will help you learn how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, and how to build a career.
Principal of Fudan University, Cao Tianren
Raphael (1483–1520)
Raphael was an Italian painter. He was born on April 6, 1483, in Urbino and died on April 6, 1520, in Rome. His original name was Raffaello Sanzio. He learned to paint from his father (the court painter of the Duke of Urbino) in his early years and later joined the workshop of Perugino, graduating in 1500. Raphael's early works already showed extraordinary talent. At the age of 21, his painting "The Marriage of the Virgin" not only demonstrated his full absorption of Perugino's artistic essence but also surpassed him in both composition and figure representation. The balance of the composition, the depiction of the background, the dignity and elegance of the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph were rare in the works of previous painters. From 1504 to 1508, he stayed in Florence, where the restored republican politics, democratic spirit, and humanist thought influenced him. At the same time, he seriously studied the artistic characteristics of various painting schools, drawing from the best, particularly admiring Leonardo da Vinci's compositional techniques and Michelangelo's expressive human figures and powerful style, which helped him develop his unique classical beauty and rapidly achieve great success alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. His series of Madonnas were different from those of medieval painters in that they all reflected humanist thought through maternal warmth and youthful beauty. The most famous are "The Madonna with the Goldfinch" (now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence), "The Madonna of the Meadow" (now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna), and "The Madonna of the Garden" (now in the Louvre Museum). The large oil painting "The Sistine Madonna," completed between 1512 and 1513, features figures the size of real people. The triangular composition formed by the Virgin and saints is solemn and balanced, with the figures of the Virgin and Jesus being robust and powerful, expressing the happiness and greatness of maternal love. Another even grander work is the altarpiece-style "The Madonna of Foligno," as well as later works like "The Madonna of the Chair" and "The Madonna of Albano," all of which are considered perfect masterpieces. After 1509, he was invited by Pope Julius II to paint frescoes in the Vatican Palace. The most outstanding of these were the frescoes in the Signatura Hall. These paintings, covering the walls and ceiling of the hall, represented the four aspects of human spiritual activity: theology, philosophy, poetry, and law. In addition to showcasing his unique painting style, he paid great attention to the harmony between the paintings and the architectural decorations, giving the works a solemn and rich appearance. Other important works from this period include "The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple" and "The Mass at Bolsena" for the Hall of Heliodorus, "The Fire at Borgo" for the Hall of Fire, and "The Triumph of Galatea" for the Farnesina Villa. These works reached new heights in figure representation and the use of light and color, earning them the reputation of being the pinnacle of fresco art in both ancient and modern times.
Raphael's self-portrait at the age of 23, "The Sistine Madonna"
His portrait paintings also achieved high acclaim. The key feature of his portraits was their combination of form and spirit, with a lively and natural aura. He often used slightly sideways half-body poses, obscuring the background to highlight the natural and approachable expressions of his subjects. Representative works include "Portrait of Castiglione" and "Portrait of a Woman in a Veil." The former depicts a scholar, with his elegant demeanor and profound knowledge vividly portrayed. The latter depicts a young woman whose appearance is similar to that of the Virgin in Raphael's paintings, but her elegant attire and graceful figure appropriately reflect the beauty of women in life.
In the spring of 1520, Raphael was already seriously ill but continued to paint "The Transfiguration." Although he did not complete it, the part he did was still radiant and powerful, showing that even in his final moments, he was constantly exploring, enriching, and perfecting his style.