Synopses & Reviews
Raphael is among the defining artists of history. From magnificent portraits of the Virgin Mary to the enormous frescoes that dazzle visitors to the Vatican, Raphael’s prominence is undeniable, and his works, together with those of Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer, and Leonardo da Vinci, epitomize the formal harmony and balance that characterized the High Renaissance ideal.
Drawing on the remarkable collection of Raphael’s works in the collection of the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, as well as a number of important works on loan, Raphael: Drawings provides insight into this Italian master and his impressive technical versatility. Among the most able draftsmen of his time, Raphael made extensive use of drawings in preparation for his many large-scale works, and over four hundred such studies and sketches survive today. For their painstaking precision and attention to detail, these drawings often stand as works of art in their own right. Highlighting the clarity and careful composition of the drawings, the book sheds light on how Raphael developed and refined some of his best-known works. Sketches of the papal portraits and the Vatican’s Raphael Rooms, for instance, are shown alongside illustrations and close-ups of the completed work.
Through a focus on his drawings and how they informed some of the world’s most identifiable works, this book offers a fascinating new look at this enormously productive master of Renaissance art.
Review
"Both beautiful and useful, this exhibition catalogue concisely introduces Raphael, or reintroduces Raphael to those who may have lost the forest amidst the trees. Other excellent introductions are available . . . However, this well-written and generously illustrated volume presents Raphael as a painter best understood through his drawings. . . . Even familiar, much-studied material comes across as fresh and engaging. Highly recommended."
Choice
About the Author
Joachim Jacoby is an independent art historian.
Martin Sonnabend is curator and director of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt.
Table of Contents
Sponsors Foreword
Directors Foreword
Raphael: Draughtsman and Storyteller
Joachim Jacoby
“Mute Poet”: Raphael and Pictorial Narrative
Henry Keazor
Raphael, Passavant and the Städelsches Kunstinstitut
Martin Sonnabend
Chronology
CATALOGUE
Joachim Jacoby
I. Woman and Child: The Mother of God and the Redeemer
cat. 1-13
II. Narrative without Plot
cat. 14-24
III. History Painting
cat. 25-35
IV. The Chigi Chapel in Santa Maria della Pace, Rome
cat. 36-48
Technical Glossary on Drawing
Ruth Schmutzler and Anna Motz
Bibliography
Index
Photo Credits
Colophon