Late Raphael
Museo del Prado, Madrid, June 12th to September 16th; Musée du Louvre, Paris, October 8th to January 2013.
Raphael’s final years were so good that the Prado and the Louvre have dedicated a whole exhibition to them. He died at 37, still in his prime (Vasari reports that he overexerted himself with his mistress, caught a fever, and was given the wrong medicine). “Late Raphael” presents over 40 paintings and 30 drawings dating from 1513—the start of the pontificate of Leo X, who commissioned some of Raphael’s Vatican masterpieces—to his death in 1520.
Raffaello Sanzio is best known for his frescoes. Energetic, grand and packed with detail, they are some of the greatest works of art ever created. His paintings are a little less acclaimed, but they have a sharp intelligence and a rare clarity. “Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione” is a fine example: a classic Renaissance portrait, done by the book, but strikingly modern in its simplicity. An ambassador and friend of the artist, Castiglione has a gaze that stays with you. His expression is gentle, the mood soft.
“The Holy Family” (above) is another highlight. The wondrous landscape in the top corner, peeking through, glistens like Narnia and pays homage to Leonardo. The figures glow against the inky background as the light caresses their flesh, a skill Raphael picked up from Michelangelo, who gloated, “everything he had of art, he had from me”. This show should confirm Raphael as the third genius of the Italian Renaissance.
From Intelligent Life Magazine, May/June 2012
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