Biography of Raphael. Biography of Raphael Santi - the greatest artist of the Renaissance What was the main field of activity of Raphael Santi

Raphael Santi is one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance.

He was a painter, graphic artist, architect, poet. He accompanied some of his drawings with sonnets.
Here is one of Raphael’s sonnets, dedicated to his beloved:

Cupid, stop the blinding light
Two wondrous eyes sent by you.
They promise either cold or summer heat,
But there is not a small drop of compassion in them.
I barely knew their charm,
How I lost my freedom and peace.
Neither the wind from the mountains nor the surf
They will not cope with the fire as a punishment for me.
Ready to bear your oppression without complaint
And live as a slave, chained,
And losing them is tantamount to death.
Anyone will understand my suffering,
Who was unable to control passions
And he became a victim of the whirlwind of love.

Raphael's earthly life was short: he lived only 37 years. And he became an orphan early (at the age of 7 he lost his mother, and at the age of 11 his father). But for his contemporaries, the artist himself was the embodiment of virtue.
Giorgio Vasari in his Lives extols Raphael - his modesty, charming courtesy, grace, hard work, beauty, good morality, his “beautiful nature, infinitely generous in mercy.” “Every evil thought disappeared at the very sight of it,” writes Vasari. And further: “Those who are so happily gifted as Raphael of Urbino are not men, but mortal gods.”
Several centuries later, Alexander Benois echoed him: “Raphael is the personification of the Renaissance. If everything disappeared and only his creation remained, it would speak relentlessly admiring words about that time... Raphael’s attention is drawn to the entire universe, his eye “caresses” everything, his art praises everything.”

From the biography of Raphael Santi (1483-1520)

Raphael "Self-Portrait" (1509)
Raphael was born in Urbino in April 1483 in the family of the painter Giovanni Santi.
Urbino is a small city in the foothills of the Apennines.

Urbino. Contemporary photography
The city has completely preserved its unique appearance since the Renaissance, with little reminiscent of modernity. Everyone who comes here has the feeling that they have stepped through centuries and found themselves in the 15th century, when Urbino briefly became one of the brilliant artistic centers of the Italian Renaissance. Italy was at that time fragmented into many city-states.

The house where Raphael lived
Raphael's father, Giovanni Santi, was a court artist and headed the most famous art workshop in Urbino. Its building has also survived to this day. After his death, the workshop was run by his assistants, and here Raphael acquired his first craft skills.
The artist left Urbino as a 17-year-old boy.
Mentors played a certain role in the development of the great talent: Baldassare Castiglione (Raphael corresponded with him until the end of his life), Perugino (Raphael came to his workshop in 1501). It is not surprising that the artist’s early works were made in the style of Perugino.
In 1502, the first Raphael Madonna appeared - “Madonna Solly”, and from that time Raphael would write Madonnas all his life.

Raphael "Madonna Solly"
Gradually Raphael develops his own style. His first masterpieces appeared: “The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary to Joseph”, “The Coronation of Mary” for the Oddi altar.

Raphael "Coronation of Mary" (circa 1504). Vatican Pinacoteca (Rome)

Florence

In 1504, Raphael visited Florence for the first time, and for the next 4 years he lived alternately in Florence, Perugia and Urbino. In Florence, Rafel met Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Bartolomeo della Porta and many other Florentine masters. The talented student took in all the best that he saw in the work of these masters: Michelangelo’s new sculptural interpretation of the forms of the human body, Leonardo’s monumental composition and interest in technical experiments. Over the years he created many paintings. The creative development of the master during this period can be traced in the images of Madonnas: “Madonna Granduca” (c. 1505, Florence, Pitti Gallery) still bears traces of Perugino’s style, although it already differs from it in composition and softer light and shadow modeling.

Raphael "Madonna of Granduca" (c. 1505). Oil, board. 84.4x55.9 cm. Pitti Gallery (Florence)
“The Beautiful Gardener” (1507, Paris, Louvre) has a more complex composition.
“Madonna Cowper” is characterized by smooth lines and expressive movements.

Raphael "Madonna Cowper" (1508). Oil, board. 58x43 cm. National Gallery (Washington)
The Florentine period of Raphael’s work was marked by a search for color, which became more restrained and acquired tonal unity; the bright, intense colors of his early works, executed under the influence of Perugino, gradually disappeared from his work.
In 1507, Raphael met Bramante. Donato Bramante(1444-1514) - the largest representative of High Renaissance architecture. His most famous work is the main temple of Western Christianity - the Basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican. It was Bramante who built the refectory at this church, where Leonardo da Vinci later wrote his “Last Supper.” Leonardo's ideas in the field of urban planning had a great influence on him.
Meeting Bramante was of great importance for Raphael as an architect.
Raphael's popularity is growing, he receives many orders.

Rome

At the end of 1508, the artist received an invitation from Pope Julius II to Rome. He was supposed to decorate the pope's office with frescoes. The subject of the painting: four spheres of human spiritual activity: Theology, Philosophy, Jurisprudence and Poetry. The vault features allegorical figures and scenes. The four lunettes contain compositions that reveal the content of each of the four areas of human activity: Disputation, School of Athens, Wisdom, Measure and Strength, and Parnassus.
Let us dwell in more detail on just one fresco of the Vatican Palace - “The School of Athens” (1511).

Raphael. Fresco "School of Athens". 500x770 cm. Apostolic Palace (Vatican)
This fresco is considered one of the best works not only of Raphael, but also of Renaissance art in general.
Among the characters in the image, we can note the most famous personalities among schoolchildren: 2 – Epicurus (ancient Greek philosopher); 6 – Pythagoras (ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician and mystic, creator of the religious and philosophical school of the Pythagoreans); 12 – Socrates (ancient Greek philosopher); 15 – Aristotle (ancient Greek philosopher. Pupil of Plato. Educator of Alexander the Great); 16 – Diogenes (ancient Greek philosopher); 18 – Euclid (or Archimedes), ancient Greek mathematician); 20 – Claudius Ptolemy (astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, mechanic, optician, music theorist and geographer); 22 R – Apelles (ancient Greek painter, the features of Raael himself are noted).

Author: User:Bibi Saint-Pol – own work, from Wikipedia
Next, Raphael, together with his students, at the request of Pope Julius II, decorated Stanza d'Eliodoro (1511-1514) and Stanza del Incendio (1514-1517) with dramatic episodes from Christian history. The Stanzas are the state rooms of the Vatican Palace.
The artist's fame grew, orders increased and exceeded Raphael's real capabilities, so he delegated some works to his assistants and students. At the same time as working on the frescoes, Raphael created cardboards of ten tapestries to decorate the Sistine Chapel. In Rome, the artist also decorated the villa of the banker Agostino Chigi, who was his patron, with frescoes. Here is one of the frescoes from Greek mythology.

Raphael's fresco "The Triumph of Galatea" (c. 1512). 295x224 cm
Nereid (sea deity, resembling Slavic mermaids in appearance) Galatea fell in love with the shepherd Akidas. The Cyclops Polyphemus, also in love with Galatea, waylaid Akidas and crushed him with a rock; Galatea turned her unfortunate lover into a beautiful transparent river. In his fresco, Raphael moved away from the exact presentation of the plot and painted a scene known as the “kidnapping of Galatea.”
Raphael painted the Chigi Chapel in the church of Santa Maria della Pace (“Prophets and Sibyls”, ca. 1514), and also built the Chigi funerary chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo.
In the Vatican, Raphael also carried out orders from churches to create altar images.

Raphael "Transfiguration" (1516-1520). Wood, tempera. 405x278 cm. Vatican Pinakothek
Raphael's last masterpiece was the majestic painting "Transfiguration" based on the Gospel story. It was painted by order of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, the future Pope Clement VII, for the altar of the Cathedral of Saints Justus and Pastor in Narbonne. The upper part of the picture depicts the miracle of the transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor in front of the three apostles: Peter, James and John.
The lower part of the painting depicts other apostles and a demon-possessed youth (this part of the canvas was completed by Giulio Romano based on Raphael’s sketches).
The artist created a whole gallery of portraits, which we will talk about in a separate article.

Architecture

In Raphael's painting The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary (1504), a temple is depicted in the background. It is believed that this temple painted on canvas is Raphael’s first step in architecture.

Raphael "The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" (1504). Wood, oil. 174-121 cm. Pinacoteca Brera (Milan)
This is a symbol, but also a manifesto of the master’s new architectural ideas.
The work of Raphael the architect represents a link between the works of Bramante and Palladio. After Bramante's death, Raphael took over as chief architect of the Cathedral of St. Peter's and completed the construction of the Vatican courtyard with loggias begun by Bramante. In 1508, Bramante received an order from Pope Julius II to build a gallery with a view of Rome. This covered arched gallery of the Vatican Palace, leading to the papal rooms, is located on the second floor, next to the Hall of Constantine. After Bramante's death in 1514, the construction of the gallery was completed by Raphael under Pope Leo X. Raphael's Loggia, the last major monumental cycle created under his leadership, is an ensemble that united architecture, painting and sculpture.

Loggias of Raphael in the Vatican Palace
Such Roman buildings by Raphael as the church of Sant'Eligio degli Orefici (1509) and the Chigi Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo (1512-1520) are close in style to the works of Bramante.

Raphael. Church of Sant'Eligio degli Orefici

Drawings

In total, about 400 surviving drawings by Raphael are known. Among them there are both completed graphic works, as well as preparatory drawings and sketches for paintings.

Raphael "Head of the Young Apostle" (1519-1520). Sketch for the painting “Transfiguration”
Engravings were created based on Raphael's drawings, although the artist himself did not make engravings. During Raphael's lifetime, the Italian engraver Marcantonio Raimondi created many engravings based on his works, and the author himself chose the designs for the engravings. And after Raphael’s death, engravings were created based on his drawings.

Raphael "Lucretia"

Marcantonio Raimondi “Lucrezia” (engraving after a drawing by Raphael)
Raphael died in Rome on April 6, 1520, at the age of 37, presumably from Roman fever, which he contracted while visiting an excavation site. He was buried in the Pantheon. On his tomb there is an epitaph: “Here lies the great Raphael, during whose life nature was afraid of being defeated, and after his death she was afraid to die.”

Sarcophagus of Raphael in the Pantheon

Raphael Santi, the great Italian artist, graphic artist, architect, follower of the Umbrian school of painting, was born on March 28, 1483 in Urbino. The boy was eight years old when his mother died, and three years later he was left without a father. Giovanni Santi was an artist and shortly before his death he managed to introduce his son to the basics of painting.

The beginning of creativity

The first works of Raphael Santi date back to 1496, when the fresco “Madonna and Child” was painted, which today is in his house-museum. Among the works of the early period there are also "The Banner with the Holy Trinity" (1499), the altar icon "The Coronation of St. Nicholas of Tolentino", painted for the church of Sant'Agostino in the suburb of Città di Castello. The early works of Raphael Santi were distinguished by an uncertainty of style, but nevertheless looked like paintings by a fully mature artist.

Studies

In 1501, the painter Santi began studying with the famous artist Pietro Perugino. Working in the workshop of a senior mentor was extremely useful for Raphael. In addition to him, several other students studied with Perugino. All of Raphael Santi's works of that period were written in the style of a teacher. However, he insisted that his most gifted student strive to acquire his own style of painting.

The young artist developed his own style later, towards the end of his studies in the master’s workshop. Some of Rafael Santi's works, paintings, sketches, began to differ significantly from the works of his mentor. Pietro tried to develop the success of his student.

First orders

Raphael Santi, his works, skill and talent became widely known in the area, the highest ranks of the clergy heard about him, and the painter received several lucrative orders for painting temples in Perugia and Città di Castello. This was very useful, since the aspiring artist did not live well and needed funds.

In 1501, Raphael Santi's first Madonna, the Madonna of Solly, was added to his works. The canvas literally breathed church splendor. In the future, the artist will create several more Madonnas in different interpretations. This theme will accompany the painter throughout his short life.

Church theme

Rafael Santi, whose famous works were on a religious theme, nevertheless often turned to the theme of the existence of ordinary people and tried to capture scenes from ordinary life in his paintings. However, over time, church themes absorbed the talented painter; he realized that he could use his art best in churches.

Therefore, at the beginning of the 16th century, he created such masterpieces as “The Coronation” and “The Betrothal of Mary.” Both paintings were painted in 1504 and were intended for the altar. During the same period, Raphael created the paintings “Portrait of Pietro Bembo”, “St. George and his battle with the dragon”, “Madonna Conestabile”.

Michelangelo and others

In December 1504, Raphael Santi left for Florence. There he meets Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Bartolomeo Porta. The style of Michelangelo and Da Vinci inspires Raphael and he begins to study their style of drawing, and for greater clarity, he makes copies of fragments from paintings by great artists. Santi copied da Vinci's canvas "Leda and the Swan" almost completely for himself. He does the same with St. Matthew. Both masters responded favorably to the efforts of the young artist. And he himself decided, if possible, to equal the Florentine masters in the art of painting.

New orders

Santi received his first order after his arrival from the nobleman Agnolo Doni, to create portraits of himself and his wife. The painting depicting a noble woman clearly shows the influence of Leonardo and his La Gioconda. The artist called the portrait “Madonna Doni”.

Having completed the order of Signor Agnolo, Raphael began to paint the altar paintings “Lady with a Unicorn”, “Entombment”, “Madonna Enthroned with Nicola of Bari and John the Baptist”. The artist’s popularity is growing, he paints many holy images, including “The Saint (1507), “The Holy Family” (1508), “Saint Elizabeth with John the Baptist” (1509), “Madonna and Joseph the Beardless” (1509) .

The main theme in Raphael's work

While in Florence, Santi painted more than twenty Madonnas. The subjects were the same: either a baby in his arms, or he is playing not far from John the Baptist, who was also often depicted in the painting. All Madonnas on canvases were depicted with the stamp of maternal care on their faces. Among their images of that period, the following stand out: “Madonna of Granduca” (1505), “Madonna of Terranuova” (1505), “Madonna under the Canopy” (1506), “Madonna of the Carnations” (1506), “Madonna of the Goldfinch” ( 1506), "The Beautiful Gardener" (1508).

Vatican

At the end of 1509, Raphael left for Rome, where he would live until his death. With the assistance of Santi, he becomes the court artist of the Papal Residence. He is instructed to paint four rooms of the palace, the so-called “stanzas,” with frescoes. Raphael chooses themes that reflect various types of intellectual activity of mankind: philosophy, poetry, theology and jurisprudence. In each of the rooms the painter places frescoes in accordance with the planned plan. received the names "Justice", "Dispute", "Parnassus" and

Life's work

The world-famous one created in 1513 is considered the most important masterpiece of the painter. Raphael painted a painting commissioned by the Church of Saint Sixtus in Piacenza. This is an incredibly integral piece of highly artistic work; it amazes with its elegant interweaving of lines, everything is subordinated to the elusive rhythm of internal harmony. The canvas is large, but all the smallest details are visible to the eye.

"The Triumph of Galatea"

The famous philanthropist and patron of the arts, Italian Augustino Chigi invited Raphael Santi to decorate his country villa on the banks of the Tiber with frescoes. Preference was given to subjects from the mythology of antiquity. This is how the masterpiece “The Triumph of Galatea” appeared. The fresco depicted prophets and sibyls. The painting is considered one of the artist's best works.

Madonnas

Rafael Santi, whose most famous works are certainly “Madonnas,” painted paintings in one go. Saint Mary and the Child, this subject was used most often by the artist. Sometimes he added John the Baptist, which organically linked with the main image. In total, Raphael's "Madonnas" are more than forty paintings, these are those that are in museums. It is in the exhibition collections that the best paintings by such a great artist as Rafael Santi are found. The works, the list of which is given below, are Madonnas depicted by the painter throughout his short but fruitful life.

• "Sistine Madonna" - (1513-1514), art gallery in Dresden.
• "Madonna Solly" (1500-1504), Berlin Art Gallery.
• "Madonna Diotalevi" (1504), in Berlin.
• "Madonna Granduca" (1504), Florence, Palazzo Pitti.
• "Madonna of Orleans" (1506), Condé Museum, France.
• "Holy Family with Palm" (1506), National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh.
• "Madonna of the Green" (1506), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
• "Madonna with the Goldfinch" (1506), Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
• "The Beautiful Gardener" (1507), Louvre, Paris.
• "Great Madonna of Cowper" (1508), Washington.
• "Madonna of Foligno" (1511-1512), Vatican.
• "Holy Family under the Oak" (1518), Prado Museum, Madrid.
• "Madonna of Divine Love" (1518), National Museum, Naples.
• "Esterhazy Madonna" (1508), Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

All other works by Rafael Santi, photos of which are in catalogs dedicated to his work, can be found in registers and reference books on the art of painting.
In the period from 1513 to 1516, Raphael Santi was engaged in another papal order, making sketches for the tapestries of the Sistine Chapel, there are only ten of them. Only seven drawings have reached us. Then Raphael, together with his students, painted the loggias that overlooked the Vatican courtyard. In total, fifty-two frescoes were made on the main biblical subjects.

New positions

In March 1514, Donato Bramante died, and the pope handed over the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral to the leadership of Raphael Santi. A year later, the artist received the position of keeper of antiquities of the Vatican. In 1515, the famous Albrecht Durer visited the Vatican, whose engravings by that time had already created a sensation throughout the world. He meets Rafael, and since then both have been trying to be in creative contact, since Germany and Italy are nearby.

The final

Raphael Santi's last dying work was "The Transfiguration", written in 1518-1520. The upper part of the canvas is given to the biblical story of the miracle of the transfiguration of Christ before James, Peter and John. At the bottom are the apostles and the demon-possessed youth. Raphael did not finish the painting; it was completed after the master’s death by the painter Giulio Romano.

The great artist died in April 1520, at the age of 37, from a viral fever. Buried in the Pantheon.

Rafael Santi is a man with an incredible destiny, the most secret and beautiful painter of the Renaissance. The rulers of Italy envied the talent and intelligence of the brilliant painter, the fairer sex adored him for his cheerful disposition and angelic attractiveness, and for his kindness and generosity his friends nicknamed the artist the messenger of heaven. However, Contemporaries did not suspect that the magnanimous Raphael until the end of his days feared that his mind would fall into the abyss of madness.

History always has its beginning and continuation. So on April 6, 1483, in the small town of the Kingdom of Italy of Urbino, in the house of the court painter of the Dukes of Urbino and poet Giovanni Santi, the great Rafael Santi.

Giovanni Santi headed the most famous art workshop in Urbino. The tragedy in which he lost his beloved wife and mother occurred at night in his home. While the artist was in Rome, where he was painting a portrait of Pope John II, his brother Niccolò, in a fit of insanity, killed his elderly mother and seriously wounded the pregnant Maggia, the artist’s wife. The guards who arrived at the crime scene arrested the criminal, but he managed to escape. Seized with insane fear, Niccolo threw himself off the bridge into the icy river. The soldiers stood on the shore and tried to fish out the body when Majia Santi had already given birth to a baby and died from her wounds. Giovanni learned about the trouble from traveling traders. Having abandoned everything, he hurried home. But friends and neighbors have already christened the boy Raphael, buried his wife and mother.

The childhood of the great artist was very happy and carefree. Giovanni Santi, having survived a terrible tragedy, invested all his strength in Raphael, protecting him from the worries and troubles of the real world, preventing possible mistakes and correcting those already committed. Since childhood, Raphael studied only with the best teachers; his father had high hopes for him, instilling a taste for painting. The first toys Raphael there were paints and brushes from my father's workshop. And already at seven years old, Rafael Santi he expressed his gifted magical fantasies in the workshop of a court painter - in the workshop of his father. Soon Giovanni remarried Bernardina Parte, the daughter of a goldsmith. From his second marriage a daughter, Elisabette, was born.

Every day the boy brought more and more joy. Giovanni watched how his son thought and acted in his fictional world, and how these weak and still clumsy hands expressed everything on canvas. He understood that talent and supernatural abilities Raphael much more worthy than his own, so he sent the boy to study with his friend, the artist Timoteo Viti.

During the training period, a ten-year-old Raphael for the first time he departed from the canons of the classical Italian portrait of the Renaissance and mastered that unique play of colors and paints, which today is a mystery for artists and art critics around the world.

In 1494, the father of the little genius died of a heart attack, and by decision of the city magistrate, the boy remained in the care of the family of the cloth merchant Bartholomew. He was the younger brother of the artist Giovanni and, unlike the crazy Niccolo, he was sociable, had a caring, cheerful and kind disposition, did not remain indifferent and was always ready to help those who needed it. This good-natured merchant adored his orphan nephew and spared no expense on his painting education.

Already at the age of seventeen, he easily created brilliant, talented works that still delight his contemporaries. In November 1500, a seventeen-year-old youth left his small provincial town of Urbino and moved to the bustling port city of Perugio. There he entered the workshop of the famous painter Pietro Vannucci, known under the name Perugino. Having looked at the first examination papers of his new student, the gray-haired maestro exclaimed: “Today is a joyful day for me, because I have discovered a genius for the world!”

During the Renaissance, Perugino's workshop was a creative laboratory in which brilliant individuals were trained. Perugino's deep lyricism, his tenderness, calmness and gentleness found an echo in the soul Raphael. Raphael is overbearing. He quickly masters the painting style of his teacher, studies under his guidance the work on frescoes, and becomes familiar with the technique and figurative system of monumental painting.

For some time, Raphael was still under the powerful influence of Perugino. Only timidly, like a momentary splash, an unexpected compositional solution suddenly appears, unusual for Perugino. Suddenly the colors on the canvases begin to sound unique. And, despite the fact that his masterpieces of this period are imitative, one cannot stand aside and not realize what their immortal master did. First of all, it is "", "", "". All this is completed by the created monumental canvas “” in the city of Civita - Castellan.

This is like his last bow to the teacher. Raphael goes into big life.

In 1504, he arrived in Florence, where the center of Italian art was concentrated, where the High Renaissance was born and rose.

The first thing the young man saw Raphael, setting foot on the soil of Florence, there was a majestic statue of the biblical hero David in Piazza della Signoria. This sculpture by Michelangelo could not help but stun Raphael, could not help but leave an imprint on his impressionable imagination.

At this time, the great Leonardo also worked in Florence. Just then, all of Florence watched with bated breath the duel of the titans - Leonardo and Michelangelo. They worked on battle compositions for the Council Hall of the Palace of the Signoria. Leonardo's painting was supposed to depict the battle of the Florentines with the Milanese at Anghiari in 1440. And Michelangelo wrote the battle of the Florentines with the Pisans in 1364.

Already in 1505, Florentines had the opportunity to evaluate both cardboards exhibited together.

Poetic, majestic Leonardo and rebellious, with a dazzling passion for painting Michelangelo! A real titanic battle of the elements. Young Rafael you need to come out of the fire of this battle unscorched, remaining yourself.

In Florence, Raphael masters the entire amount of knowledge that an artist needs to rise to the level of these titans.

He studies anatomy, perspective, mathematics, geometry. His search for the beautiful in Man, his worship of Man emerges more and more clearly, he develops the style of a monumentalist, his skill becomes virtuosic.

In four years, he transformed from a timid provincial painter into a real master, confidently mastering all the school secrets he needed for his work.

In 1508, a twenty-five-year-old Santi arrives at the invitation of Pope Julius II to Rome. He is entrusted with painting in the Vatican. First of all, it was necessary to make frescoes in the Signature Hall, which was allocated by Julius II for a library and office. The paintings were supposed to reflect various aspects of human spiritual activity - in science, philosophy, theology, and art.

Here he is before us not only a painter, but an artist - a philosopher who dared to rise to enormous generalizations.

The Hall of the Signature - Stanza della Segnatura - reunited the ideas of the era about the power of the human mind, the power of poetry, the rule of law, and humanity. The artist brought together philosophical ideas in live scenes.

In historical and allegorical groups Santi revives the images of Plato, Aristotle, Diogenes, Socrates, Euclid, Ptolemy. Monumental works required the master to know the most complex painting techniques - fresco, mathematical calculations and a steel hand. It was truly a titanic work!

In their stanzas (rooms) Rafael managed to find an unprecedented synthesis of painting and architecture. The fact is that the interiors of the Vatican were very complex in design. The artist was faced with almost impossible compositional problems. But Santi emerged victorious from this test.

The stanzas are masterpieces not only in terms of the plastic design of the figures, the characteristics of the images, and the color. In these frescoes, the viewer is amazed by the grandeur of the architectural ensembles created by the painter’s brush, created by his dream of beauty.

In one of the frescoes of the Signature Hall, among the philosophers and educators, as if a participant in this high debate, there is himself Rafael Santi. A thoughtful young man looks at us. Large, beautiful eyes, deep gaze. He saw everything: both joy and sorrow - and better than others he felt the Beauty that he left for people.

Raphael was the most magnificent portrait painter of all times. Images of his contemporaries Pope Julius II, Baltasar Castiglione, portraits of cardinals They depict to us proud, wise and strong-willed people of the Renaissance. The plasticity, color, and sharpness of the characteristics of the images on these canvases are amazing.

In general, during his short thirty-seven-year life, the master created many unsurpassed, unique paintings. But still, the most important thing remains the inspired Madonnas, who are distinguished by their special mysterious beauty. Beauty, Kindness, and Truth are intertwined in them.

Painting " Holy Family. Madonna with Beardless Joseph“or “,” written at the age of twenty-three, represents a kind of creative “exercise” of the artist, who solved the problem of constructing a composition that was perfectly coordinated in all its parts.

Its center is marked by the figure of the Child. Highlighted by a beam of light directed directly at her, she, the brightest spot in the picture, immediately attracts the viewer’s attention. What is truly remarkable is the persistence and determination with which Santi consistently achieves the impression of an internal relationship between the characters and their spatial environment. The baby sits on Mary's lap, but his gaze is turned towards Joseph - usual for Raphael a compositional technique with which it is possible to strengthen the connection between adjacent figures not only visually, but also emotionally. Purely pictorial techniques serve the same purpose. Thus, the smooth parabolic lines outlined in the outlines of the Virgin Mary’s sleeve find an echo both in the outline of the figure of the Child and in the movement of the folds of Joseph’s cloak.

Madonna and Child - one of the leitmotifs in art Raphael: in just four years of his stay in Florence, he painted at least one and a half dozen paintings varying this plot. The Mother of God sometimes sits with the Baby in her arms, sometimes plays with him or simply thinks about something, looking at her son. Sometimes a little John the Baptist is added to them.

Thus, “”, written by him in 1512 - 1513, received the highest recognition. The mother holds the child in her arms and carries him to us, into our world. The holy sacrament was accomplished - a man was born. Now life is before him. The Gospel plot is only a pretext for solving an eternal idea through a complex allegory. Life for the human being entering it is not only joy, but also quests, falls, ups, and suffering.

A woman carries her son into a cold and scary world full of accomplishments and joy. She is a mother, she anticipates the fate of her son, everything that is in store for him. She sees his future, so in her eyes there is horror, horror of the inevitable, and grief, and fear for her baby.

And yet she does not stop at the earthly threshold, she crosses it.

The Baby's face is most striking. Peering into the eyes of the Baby, unusually bright, brilliant, almost frightening to the viewer, the impression is not only of a menacing, but of something wild and “obsessed” with a meaningful look. This is God, and like God, he is also privy to the secret of his future, he also knows what awaits him in this world into which the curtain has opened. He clings to his mother, but does not seek protection from her, but as if says goodbye to her, as soon as he enters this world and accepts the full weight of the trials.

The weightless flight of the Madonna. But another moment - and she will step on the ground. She hands people the most precious thing - her son, a new person. Accept him, people, he is ready to accept mortal torment for you. This is the main idea that the artist expressed in painting.

It is this idea that awakens good feelings in the viewer, connects Santi with top names, elevates him as an artist to unattainable heights.

In the middle of the 18th century, the Benedictines sold " Sistine Madonna"to Elector Frederick Augustus II, in 1754 it ended up in the collection of the Dresden National Gallery. " Sistine Madonna"became an object of worship for all humanity. It began to be called the Greatest and Immortal picture of the world.

The image of pure beauty can be seen in the portrait "". "" was painted by the artist during his stay in Florence. The image of a young beautiful girl he created is full of charm and virginal purity. This impression is also associated with the mysterious animal lying peacefully on her lap - a unicorn, a symbol of purity, female purity and chastity.

For a long time " Lady with a unicorn"was attributed either to Perugino or to Titian. It was only in the 1930s that Raphael’s authorship was discovered and confirmed. It turned out that the artist initially depicted a lady with a dog, then a mythical creature - a unicorn - appeared on her lap.

The beautiful stranger depicted Raphael, seems to be a “deity”, a “shrine”. She is in boundless harmony with the world that surrounds her.

This job Raphael like a kind of dialogue between the genius of the Renaissance and Leonardo da Vinci, who has just created his famous “ Mona Lisa”, which managed to make a deep impression on the young artist.

Using the lessons of Leonardo, the Master of Madonnas follows the teacher. He places his model in space on the balcony and against the backdrop of the landscape, dividing the plane into different zones. The portrait of the depicted model conducts a dialogue with the viewer, creating new imagery and revealing its different, not ordinary inner world.

The color scheme in a portrait also plays a huge role. A colorful and bright palette, built on a gradation of light and pure colors, gives the landscape a clear transparency, imperceptibly shrouded in a light, foggy haze. All this further emphasizes the integrity and purity of the landscape against the background of the image of the lady.

Fresco with tempera paints on wood " Transfiguration", which Raphael began writing in 1518 by order of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici for the Cathedral of Narbonne, can be perceived as the artist's artistic commandment.

The canvas is divided into two parts. At the top is the plot of the Transfiguration. The Savior with raised hands, in fluttering righteous clothes, hovers against the background of a haze illuminated by the brilliance of His own radiance. On both sides of Him, also floating in the air, are Moses and Elijah - the elders; the first, as already noted, with tablets in hands. At the top of the mountain, the blinded Apostles lie in different poses: they cover their faces with their hands, unable to bear the light emanating from Christ. On the left on the mountain there are two outside witnesses to the miracle of the Transfiguration, one of them has a rosary. Their presence does not find justification in the gospel story and was apparently dictated by some considerations of the artist unknown to us now.

There is no feeling of miracle and grace of Favorian light in the picture. But there is a feeling of emotional oversaturation of people, which overlaps the miraculous phenomenon itself.

In the lower half of the picture at the foot of the mountain Santi depicted two lively groups of people: on the left are the other nine Apostles, on the right is a crowd of Jews, in which in the foreground one can see a kneeling woman and a Jew supporting a possessed boy, whose strong writhing, clouded eyes and open mouth reveal his severe mental and physical suffering. The crowd begs the Apostles to cure the demoniac. The apostles look at him in amazement, unable to alleviate his fate; some of them point to Christ.

If you look closely at the face of Christ, which Raphael wrote on the eve of his death, and compare it with the “” artist, you can find some similarities.

Rafael Santi- The Great Artist with a cheerful and kind disposition died unexpectedly on a spring evening, at the age of thirty-seven. He left this world full of divine beauty after a short illness on April 6, 1520 in his workshop. It seemed that art died along with the Great and Revered Artist. According to Raphael Santi's will, he was buried among the great people of Italy in the Pantheon.

Raphael was born in the city of Urbino in 1483 in the family of the artist Giovanni Santi. The atmosphere of the city and his father’s work predetermined the boy’s fate.

In the 15th century, Urbino was one of the most important cities in Italy, a major cultural center. The rulers of Urbino, the Dukes of Montefeltro, were famous philanthropists and collectors; they recognized the importance of education and enlightenment, loved mathematics, cartography, philosophy, appreciated art and provided patronage to artists.

Giovanni Santi was a court painter and poet. In his father’s workshop, young Raphael learned the basics of painting, and as Giorgio Vasari notes in his “Biographies...”, “he helped his father paint the paintings that Giovanni created while living in Urbino.”

The boy was not even ten years old when he lost his parents and was sent (at the request of his father) to Perugia as an apprentice in the workshop of Pietro Perugino.

Raphael is a quick learner, he was barely 17 years old when he was already mentioned as an independent artist, creating works for his first customers. The artist’s self-portrait drawing dates back to this period. Very little time will pass, and Raphael will become an unsurpassed portrait painter, able to convey not only striking similarities, but also the individuality of his models with the help of color, light, and details. But for now Raphael is a modest student in the studio of a great artist.

2. Betrothal of the Virgin Mary, 1504
Pinacoteca Brera, Milan

Pietro Perugino, who became Raphael's teacher, is the star of the Umbrian school of painting, one of the most sought-after artists of his time. His style is melodic and poetic, pleasing to the eye and imbued with a special lyrical mood. Perugino's images are beautiful and sweet. It is characterized by decorativeness and balance. In an atmosphere of harmony and serenity - all of Perugino.

Raphael, subtle and perceptive, was so accurately able to capture the very essence of his teacher’s art that his first works could be mistaken for the masterpieces of the master Perugino.

In 1504, Raphael created The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary; a little earlier, Perugino painted a picture with the same plot (the wedding of Mary and Joseph).

Before us is a wedding ceremony: Joseph, in the presence of a priest, hands Mary a wedding ring.

Raphael, following the teacher, places the characters in an ideal space created according to the laws of linear perspective. Behind stands a majestic, also “ideal” temple. However, with “Betrothal,” the 21-year-old student surpasses his teacher in the art of depicting people. Look at the solemn statics of Perugino's characters and the variety of characters and movements in Raphael. Agree, Raphael's heroes are more like real people.

It is also extremely important that Raphael’s predecessors, who were fluent in the techniques of constructing perspective, lined up the characters as if in a line, both in the foreground and in the background. Raphael depicts those present at the wedding celebration more realistically, as a chaotic crowd.

It was “The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary” that became the result of training in the workshop of Pietro Perugino. The impetuous young man was already attracted by blooming Florence...

3. Self-portrait, 1506
Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Rumors are circulating in Italy that something extraordinary is happening in Florence. In the main hall of the city council building, Michelangelo and Leonardo compete in the art of frescoes. Rafael decides to be at the scene of the events.

In 1504, Raphael arrived in Florence, carrying a letter of recommendation from his patroness, Giovanna Feltria della Rovere, to the ruler of the Florentine Republic, Pier Soderini. Imagine how Raphael goes to the Palazzo Vecchio and stops, amazed, in Piazza della Signoria. Before him is the greatest work of art - David, a sculpture of unprecedented beauty and skill. Raphael is amazed and can't wait to meet Michelangelo.

He will live in Florence for the next four years. This stage will be for him a time of hard work, discipline and close study of the art of Michelangelo and Leonardo. His unique style was born. Undoubtedly, Raphael would not have become Raphael without these difficult years of hard work.

Vasari would later write: “The techniques that he saw in the works of Leonardo and Michelangelo forced him to work even harder to extract from them unprecedented benefits for his art and his manner.”

The 23-year-old artist paints his self-portrait, still imbued with the lyrical features of Umbrian painting. This image will survive centuries. It is exactly this way, gentle, impetuous and eternally young, that Raphael will forever remain for posterity.

4. Portraits of Agnolo Doni and Maddalena Strozzi, 1506
Palazzo Pitti, Florence

A gentle disposition, impeccable manners and amazing ease of communication allowed Raphael to achieve the favor of influential patrons and wealthy customers, friendship with a variety of people and popularity with women. He managed to win over even Michelangelo and Leonardo, each of whom nature endowed with a great gift and such a difficult character that many preferred to stay away from them.

One of Raphael's important clients during his Florentine period was Agnolo Doni, a wealthy textile merchant, philanthropist and art collector. In honor of his wedding with Maddalena Strozzi, he commissions a couple portrait. Only a few could afford such a luxury.

For Raphael the portrait painter, it was important not only the ability to convey external resemblance, but also character. One glance at the portrait of Agnolo Doni is enough, and it becomes clear that before us is an influential and strong man, this is evidenced by both his imperious pose and his intelligent, calm look. He is dressed well and modestly, and does not strive for ostentatious luxury. Most likely, his interests are varied: he is attracted to trade, politics, art, literature, science. He is the embodiment of the ideal man of the Renaissance, but at the same time he is not a generalized collective image, but a living Florentine recognizable by his contemporaries.

Raphael achieves the same effect in his depiction of Maddalena Strozzi. On the one hand, before us is a rich city dweller, proud and arrogant, on the other - a young woman, a bride. The graceful tree is designed to emphasize the gentle character of the newlywed. The pendant on Maddalena’s neck, perhaps a wedding gift from Agnolo, also has a special meaning: precious stones indicate vitality, a large pearl indicates the purity and purity of the bride.

At this time, Raphael is looking for himself and his style; he is fascinated by the Mona Lisa, which Leonardo had recently completed. He gives his Maddalena a similar pose and enthusiastically searches for his own ways to fill the portrait with magnetism. Raphael would become a master of psychological portraiture, but later, during his heyday in Rome.

5. Mute (La Muta), 1507
National Gallery of Marche, Urbino

This intimate portrait is truly unusual. The artist does not give any obvious hints, and the fact that this is a woman deprived of the ability to speak follows only from the title. The most striking thing about this portrait is the feeling that comes from it. The heroine's muteness is felt in her facial expression, in her gaze, in her inactive, tightly compressed lips. This is Raphael's outstanding talent: he is not only familiar with the smallest features and shades of human nature, but is also able to accurately convey his knowledge and observations in the language of painting.

6. Madonna with the Goldfinch, 1507

Rafael lost his mother in early childhood. Subtle and vulnerable, all his life he felt an urgent need for maternal love and tenderness. And of course, this was reflected in his art. The Madonna and Child is one of the most important subjects for Raphael. He will constantly explore the relationship between mother and child. In Florence, over 4 years, he would paint more than 20 paintings on the theme “Madonna and Child.” From static, imbued with Perugino’s mood (such is his Madonna Granduca, which you can see at the exhibition in the Pushkin Museum), to mature, filled with feelings and vitality.

One of these paintings is “Madonna with the Goldfinch.” Before us are the Virgin Mary, the baby Jesus and John the Baptist, handing him a goldfinch, a symbol of the Savior’s terrible trials.

A curious story is connected with the “Madonna of the Goldfinch”, told by Giorgio Vasari: “The greatest friendship connected Raphael and Lorenzo Nasi, for whom, having only just gotten married these days, he painted a painting depicting the infant Christ standing at the knees of the Mother of God, and the young St. John , cheerfully holding out the bird to him, to the greatest joy and to the greatest pleasure of both. Both of them form a group full of a kind of childish simplicity and at the same time deep feeling, not to mention the fact that they are so well done in color and so carefully drawn that they seem to be made of living flesh, and not made with paints and drawing. The same applies to the Mother of God with her blissful and truly divine expression on her face, and in general - the meadow, the oak grove, and everything else in this work is extremely beautiful. This painting was kept by Lorenzo Nasi during his lifetime with the greatest reverence, both in memory of Raphael, who was his closest friend, and for the sake of the dignity and perfection of the work itself, which, however, almost died on November 17, 1548, when the collapse of Mount San Giorgio Lorenzo's own house collapsed along with the neighboring houses. The son of the said Lorenzo and the greatest connoisseur of art, having discovered parts of the painting in the rubbish of the ruins, ordered them to be reunited as best as possible.”

7. School of Athens, 1509–1510
Apostolic Palace, Vatican

In 1508, Raphael arrives in Rome at the invitation of Pope Julius II and again finds himself in the center of incredible events: the great Michelangelo paints the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Bramante, the chief papal architect, rebuilds St. Peter's Cathedral, and prominent artists of his time work in the Stanzas (the Pope's rooms) : Lorenzo Lotto, Peruzzi, Sodoma, Bramantino, as well as Raphael's former teacher, Pietro Perugino.

Rumors about the divine talent of the young artist also reached Julius II, who set out to decorate his reign with outstanding works of art at all costs. Wanting to test Raphael, the Pope instructed him to take care of the room intended for his personal library. Having started work, Raphael so impressed Julius II that he ordered to expel all the artists working in other rooms, destroy the frescoes they had created and entrust the entire project to 25-year-old Raphael alone. Thus began the history of Raphael's Stanzas.

The most famous fresco is rightfully considered the “School of Athens”, which occupies the wall of the Stanza della Segnatura, reserved for the collection of books on philosophy.

“The School of Athens” is a mass stage, a gathering of philosophers, sages and learned men of all times in the Ideal Temple of Wisdom (the architectural space in which the characters are gathered echoes the project of St. Peter’s Cathedral, which at this very time is being built according to Bramante’s design). In the center of the fresco are Plato and Archimedes. The first points to the sky, expressing the essence of his idealistic philosophy with just one gesture, the second points to the earth, emphasizing the importance of natural sciences and knowledge.

In addition, the “School of Athens” is the meeting place of Diogenes, Socrates, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Euclid, Epicurus, Zoroaster and other prominent figures.

It is also interesting that the three most important creators of the High Renaissance are also depicted at the meeting of the “School of Athens”. If you look closely, in Plato you will recognize Leonardo da Vinci, in the mighty Titan-Heraclitus, who sits on the steps, leaning on a block of marble - Michelangelo, look for Raphael himself second from the right in the first row.

Over the years of work on the Stanzas, Raphael becomes a celebrity, the brightest star of Rome. After Bramante's death, Raphael was appointed chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica and chief custodian of Roman antiquities. He is surrounded by patrons, customers, students, friends and beautiful women.

8. Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, 1514–1515
Louvre, Paris

In Rome, Raphael paints a portrait of his friend and philanthropist Baldassare Castiglione. Look at this extraordinary face and imagine how far the artist’s current style is from the sweet style of Perugino, how cleverly the artist managed to melt down the techniques of Leonardo and Michelangelo, creating his own unique style!

Count Baldassare Castiglione - philosopher, poet, diplomat, one of the most educated people of his time. In addition, he was known for his gentleness, meekness and balance of character. It was these qualities, in the opinion of Raphael himself, that distinguished the ideal man of the Renaissance.

A friendly, slightly thoughtful mature man looks at us from the picture. He is dressed modestly, but with great taste. His face is calm and harmonious, his gaze is penetrating and open. Despite all its external simplicity, this portrait is endowed with special magnetism and psychological depth, comparable to the effect that the image of the Mona Lisa produces on viewers.

9. Fornarina, 1518–1519 (left)
Palazzo Barberini, Rome

There were all sorts of rumors about Raphael's personal life. According to some of them, the artist was a libertine and died at the age of 37 from syphilis, according to others, less scandalous, from fever. In any case, Raphael was constantly in the center of female attention, and one can only guess what kind of women of origin and occupation posed for the images of his gentle madonnas and nymphs.

For a long time, the identity of the black-eyed beauty from the Fornarina portrait was unknown. Vasari suggests that this is a portrait of “... a woman whom he loved very much until his death, and with whom he painted a portrait so beautiful that she was as if alive.”

A few years earlier, Fornarina posed for Raphael for another masterpiece, The Veiled Lady. If you look closely, the headdresses of both the Fornarina and the Veiled Lady are held together by the same hairpin, perhaps a gift from Raphael.

According to legend, Raphael met Fornarina, the daughter of a baker (fornarina - from Italian for “bakery”), while working on the frescoes of the Villa Farnesina. Then the beauty seemed to be getting married, but Rafael bought her from her father and settled her in the house, where he met her until death separated them. There were rumors that it was Fornarina who killed Raphael. They also said that after his death she went to a monastery out of grief, or that she led such a depraved lifestyle that she was forcibly tonsured a nun.

10. Sistine Madonna, 1513–1514
Gallery of Old Masters, Dresden

« I wanted to be forever a spectator of one painting...” wrote A. S. Pushkin about Raphael’s most famous Madonna.

It was in The Sistine Madonna that Raphael managed to reach the pinnacle of his mastery. This picture is amazing. The open curtain reveals to us a heavenly vision: surrounded by a divine glow, the Virgin Mary descends to people. She has the baby Jesus in her arms, her face shows tenderness and concern. It seems that everything in this picture: hundreds of angelic faces, and the respectful gesture of Saint Sixtus, and the humble figure of Saint Barbara, and the heavy curtain - were created so that we could not take our eyes off the face of the Madonna for a second.

And of course, Raphael would not be Raphael if the features of his Fornarina were not noticeable in the beautiful image of Mary.

Raphael died in Rome on April 6 (his birthday) 1520 at the age of 37 at the zenith of his fame.

Many centuries later, while studying the art of Raphael, Pablo Picasso would say: “If Leonardo promised us paradise, then Raphael gave it to us!”

He created his first painted Madonna at the age of 17, and his most famous painting - also an image of the Virgin and Child, the great “Sistine Madonna” - is kept in the Dresden Gallery.

Discipleship

They say about people like Rafael Santi: he lived a short but very bright life. Yes, leaving at 37 means depriving the world of many, many more of your masterpieces. For example, Michelangelo continued to create until his death in old age. In the sad eyes of Raphael in the replicated “Self-Portrait” one can guess the tragically imminent end of his earthly existence.

Raphael's parents were also not long-lived. The father died when the boy was just 11 (but he, the artist, managed to pass on the basics of his craft to his heir), and the mother of the future genius of the Renaissance outlived her husband by 7 years.

Now nothing kept him in his native Urbino. And Raffaello becomes one of the students of master Perugino in Perugia. There he meets another talent of the Umbrian school - Pinturicchio; the artists perform several works together.

First masterpieces

In 1504 (the painter was only 21 years old) the masterpiece “The Three Graces” was born. Santi gradually moves away from imitating the teacher and acquires his own style. The miniature “Madonna Conestabile” also dates back to the same period. This is one of two paintings by the master that are kept in Russia (in the Hermitage collection). The second is “Madonna with Beardless Joseph” (another name is “Holy Family”).

The aspiring painter’s “baggage” was greatly enriched by his acquaintance with the “pillars” of the Renaissance - Michelangelo Buonarotti and Leonardo da Vinci. This happened in what was then almost the “capital of Italian art”, Florence. Leonardo's influence is felt in the portrait of "Lady with a Unicorn". It’s amazing to see a tiny one-horned animal (the look is more familiar to the cinematic white-maned chic horses with a horn in the forehead), sitting quietly on the lap of a blond girl (precisely girls - according to legend, unicorns became tame only with virgins). The Florentine period was marked by the creation of two dozen Madonnas. Probably, the theme of maternal love was very close to Raphael - after all, he lost this benefit early.

The best works of Raphael

One of the most famous works of Raphael Santi was created in Rome, where the painter moved in 1508. The fresco “School of Athens” (it adorns the Apostolic Vatican Palace) is a very complex composition (more than 50 heroes are depicted on the canvas). In the center are the sages Plato and Aristotle, the first proclaims the primacy of the spiritual (raising his hand up to the sky), the second is a supporter of the earthly (he points to the floor). In the faces of some characters one can discern the features of the author's friends (Plato-da Vinci, Heraclitus-Michelangelo), and he himself appears in the image of Ptolemy.

Among the dozen Roman Raphael Madonnas, the most touching and famous of all existing images of the Mother of God is the “Sistine Madonna.” “A piece of sky, a bridge of clouds - and Madonna comes down to you and me. She hugged her son so lovingly, protecting him from his enemies...” The main figure on the canvas is, of course, Mary. She, carrying an unusually serious child, is greeted by Saint Barbara and Pope Sixtus II with the name “encrypted” in her right hand (look closely - there are 6 fingers on it). Below, a pair of phlegmatic, plump angels admired the mother and child. It is impossible to tear yourself away from her anxious eyes.

Love of my life

In the appearance of the main character of “The Sistine Madonna” one can recognize the love of the life of the great Italian creator - she went down in history under the nickname “Fornarina”. The literal translation of the word is “bakery”. The beautiful Margherita Lute really grew up in a baker's family. The girl remained as a model and lover of Raffaello for many years - until the artist’s death.

Her beautiful features can be admired in the “Portrait of a Young Woman” (also called “Fornarina”), dated 1519. After the teacher’s death (which occurred a year later), one of Raphael’s most famous students, Giulio Romano, painted a bracelet with the author’s name on canvas for a woman. Another famous image of the Muse is “Donna Velato” (“The Veiled Lady”). Seeing 17-year-old Margherita, Rafael fell madly in love with her and bought her from his father. Many representatives of the bohemians of that time were homosexual (the Renaissance was generally characterized by an unbridled triumph of the flesh), but Santi turned out to be an exception.

Two versions of death

One of the legends about his death says that death overtook the artist in Fornarina’s bed. The same evil gossip claims: the girl was not faithful to her lover. And after his early departure, having received a considerable fortune, she nevertheless followed the lead of her vicious nature and became one of the famous courtesans of Rome.

But admirers of the painter’s talent adhere to a different version: a fever brought him to his grave. And the love of the Rafael-Fornarina couple could be the envy of many. After the death of her unmarried husband, she took monastic vows and briefly outlived the maestro, considering herself his widow.

Raffaello's talent was multifaceted. He proved himself as an architect and a poet. And one of his drawings was auctioned at Sotheby’s at the end of 2012 for a record price of 29,721,250 British pounds.