An authoritative introduction to Raphael, one of the most influential painters in the history of art, written by the preeminent authority on the subject and informed by the latest research. For centuries, Raphael has been recognized as the supreme High Renaissance painter, with many considering him more versatile than Michelangelo and more prolific than his older contemporary Leonardo da Vinci. Though he died young at thirty-seven, Raphael’s example as a paragon of classicism dominated the academic tradition of European painting until the mid-nineteenth century. This comprehensive survey looks at the different social and regional contexts of Raphael’s work and all aspects of his artistic production. From early training in Urbino to travels across central Italy, particularly Florence, where he became a noted portraitist and painter of Madonnas, to engagement by the papal court, this volume covers all areas of the artist’s practice. Focus is also devoted to the second half of Raphael’s career, when he became the dominant artist in Rome—even ahead of Michelangelo—and as a sophisticate entrepreneur, was able to extend the range of his activities to that of architect, designer, pioneer archaeologist, and theoretician. A beautifully illustrated study with over 150 full-color reproductions of Raphael’s work, ranging from major masterpieces to lesser-known paintings and drawings from all periods; art historian Paul Joannides, one of the world’s leading experts on Raphael’s drawings, sheds new light on this seminal artist.

ルネサンスの頂点を極めたラファエロ。本作は、三十七歳という短い生涯を駆け抜けた彼の「万能性」と、古典主義の規範となった調和の美学を鮮やかに紐解きます。著者は最新研究を基に、単なる天才絵師の枠を超え、建築や考古学をも統べる「起業家」としての多面的なラファエロ像を、圧倒的な熱量で描き出しています。 聖母像から大作へと至る変遷を、精緻な図版と共に辿る旅は圧巻です。特に素描に宿る創造の火花を捉えた解説は、巨匠たちの背中を追い越し、神々しいまでの静謐さに辿り着いた一人の青年の野心を浮き彫りにします。美の極致を追求した男の魂の記録が、読む者の感性を激しく揺さぶる至高の一冊です。