Lives of the Artists

by Giorgio Vasari

  On the wall with the other window Raphael painted on one side Justinian giving the laws to be revised by the Doctors; and above he depicted Temperance, Fortitude, and Prudence. On the other side he showed the Pope issuing the canonical decretals; and he included a portrait taken from life of Pope Julius accompanied by Cardinal Giovanni de’Medici (who subsequently became Pope Leo), Cardinal Antonio di Monte, and Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (later Pope Paul III) as well as other portraits.

  The Pope was very satisfied with this work, and to make the panelling worthy of the paintings he sent to Monte Oliverto di Chiusuri in the Siena district for Fra Giovanni da Verona, who in those days was a great master of perspectiveviews in wood inlays. Fra Giovanni executed not only the surrounding panelling but also some very fine doors and chairs, with perspective studies, which won him generous praise and rewards from the Pope. To be sure, Fra Giovanni designed and executed this kind of work incomparably well, as is proved by a very fine sacristy with perspective inlays in Santa Maria in Organo (in his own birthplace, Verona), by the choirs of Monte Oliveto in Chiusuri and of San Benedetto in Siena, as well as the sacristy of Monte Oliveto in Naples, and, in the same part of the world, the chapel of Paolo da Tolosa. His work rightly earned him the praise and respect of his brothers in religion. He died in 1537, at the age of sixty-eight. (I have mentioned this excellent and outstanding artist since his talent demanded it and, as I shall describe later, was responsible for much fine work by other craftsmen.)

  But to return to Raphael, he made such progress that the Pope commissioned him to go on to paint a second room that was near the Great Hall. And at that time, when his reputation was very high indeed, Raphael did an oil-painting of Pope Julius. This portrait was so true and lifelike that everyone who saw it trembled as if the Pope were standing there in person. Today it is in Santa Maria del Popolo, together with a very beautiful painting of Our Lady executed at the same time, which shows the Birth of Jesus Christ with the Virgin laying a veil over her son. The attitude of the child’s head and every part of his body are so beautiful that he is clearly the true son of God; and no less fine are the head and face of the Madonna whose serene beauty wonderfully expresses her piety and joy. St Joseph is shown, his hands resting on a staff, contemplating the king and queen of Heaven with the devout wonder of a holy old man. Both these works are exhibited on important feast days.

  By now Raphael had made a great name for himself in Rome. He had developed a smooth and graceful style that everyone admired, he had seen any number of antiquities in that city, and he studied continuously; none the less, his figures still lacked the indefinable grandeur and majesty that he now started to give them.

  What happened was that Michelangelo at that time made his terrifying outburst against the Pope in the Sistine Chapel (as I shall describe in his Life) and was forced to run away to Florence. So then Bramante, who had the keys of the chapel, being a friend of Raphael brought him to see Michelangelo’s work and study his technique. And this was the reason why, though it was already finished, Raphael immediately repainted the prophet Isaiah which is to be seen in Sant’ Agostino in Rome, above the St Anne by Andrea Sansovino; and what he had seen of Michelangelo’s paintings enabled him to give his own style more majesty and grandeur, so that he improved the picture out of all recognition. When Michelangelo saw Raphael’s work later on he was convinced, and rightly, that Bramante had deliberately done him that wrong for the sake of Raphael’s reputation and benefit.

  Then, not long after this, Agostino Chigi, a very rich Sienese merchant who was a true friend of accomplished men, commissioned Raphael to decorate a chapel for him; and he did this because, shortly before, Raphael had painted for him in a loggia of his palace (now called the Chigi, in the Trastevere) in his softest manner a Galatea in a chariot on the sea drawn by two dolphins and surrounded by many sea-gods and Tritons. After he had made the cartoon for the chapel (which is at the entrance of the church of Santa Maria della Pace, at the right hand of the main entrance) he executed it in fresco in his new style, which was appreciably grander and more magnificent than his earlier manner. In this painting, done before Michelangelo’s chapel was open to the public although after he himself had seen it, Raphael represented several prophets and sibyls. It is held to be the best of his works, and the most beautiful among so many that are beautiful; the women and children, for example, are most vivacious and perfectly coloured. As the finest and most outstanding work he ever did, it won him great praise both during his lifetime and after.

  Next, spurred on by the entreaties of one of Pope Julius’s chamberlains, Raphael painted the panel for the high altar of the Ara Coeli, and he represented Our Lady in the clouds of heaven, with a very beautiful landscape, a St John, a St Francis, and a St Jerome portrayed as a cardinal. In the figure of Our Lady he conveyed the modesty and humility belonging to the mother of Christ, and he showed the child making a beautiful gesture as he plays with his mother’s robe; and in the face of St John is seen the penitential air usually resulting from fasting, and in his head the deep sincerity and strong assurance characteristic of those who have withdrawn from the world and despise it and who in their dealings with others spurn lies and speak only the truth. Meanwhile, St Jerome is shown with his head uplifted, gazing in contemplation at Our Lady, and in his eyes one can perceive all the learning and wisdom he displayed in his writings; with a gesture of his hands he is seeking Our Lady’s protection for the chamberlain, whose own portrait could not be more lifelike. The same holds true for the portrait of St Francis who is kneeling on the ground with one arm outstretched and his head lifted up towards Our Lady; his expression is glowing with love and the features and colouring of his face express his deep emotion as he draws comfort and inspiration from the Madonna’s gentle and beautiful gaze and the animated beauty of her son. In the middle of the panel, below the figure of Our Lady, Raphael painted a little boy who, as he stands there, is raising his head towards her and holding an inscription; and this figure is so handsome and beautifully proportioned that one cannot imagine anything finer or more gracious. And in addition there is a landscape of singular beauty and perfection.

  Afterwards, continuing to work on the apartments of the palace, Raphael painted a scene showing the miracle of the corporal at Orvieto, or as is sometimes said, at Bolsena. One sees the priest, as he says Mass, flushing with shame as he realizes that through his disbelief he has made the Host on the corporal turn to blood. With tenor in his eyes, distraught and dumbfounded in the presence of the congregation, he hardly knows what to do; and in the movements of his hands one can almost see the fear and trembling to be expected in such circumstances. In this picture Raphael painted a number of different figures: some are assisting at the Mass, others are kneeling on a flight of steps; and all of them, disconcerted by the strangeness of what has happened, are making various beautiful movements and gestures, while many of them, men and women, appear to believe that they themselves must be guilty. Among the women is one seated on the ground at the foot of the scene who is holding a child in her arms. She is listening to someone explaining what has happened to the priest, and as she does so she turns her body in a wonderful manner, with a womanly grace which is completely natural and lifelike. On the other side Raphael painted Pope Julius hearing the Mass, in a marvellous scene which contains the portraits of Cardinal San Giorgio and of countless others. And he made use of the window-opening to depict a flight of steps, which rounds off the composition perfectly, making it seem, in fact, that if the opening had not been there the picture would have been incomplete. This proves the justice of the claim that in the art of composition, no matter what the subject, Raphael surpassed everyone else in facility, skill, and ability.

  He demonstrated this again, in the same place, in a scene opposite the one I have just described which shows St Peter in the hands of Herod, guarded in prison by armed men. The grasp of architecture shown in this picture and the effect he achieved in the prison building are such that the work of th
e painters who came after Raphael seems in comparison to be as confused as his was beautiful. For Raphael always endeavoured to paint his scenes as if they were written stories and to embellish them with interesting decorative details, as is shown in this particular painting by the horror of the prison. Here Raphael showed the elderly St Peter bound in iron chains between two armed guards, the guards themselves sunk in sleep, and the dazzling splendour of the angel which pierces the dark shadows of the night to light up every detail of the prison and make the arms of the soldiers shine so resplendently that their burnished lustre appears more lifelike than the real thing. He displayed comparable skill and genius in describing the action of St Peter when, freed from his chains, the apostle leaves prison escorted by the angel: St Peter appears to believe that he must be in a dream, while the faces of some other armed guards standing outside the prison express terror and dismay as they hear the clanging of the iron door, and a sentinel with a torch in his hand rouses the others. As he gives them light, the blaze of the sentry’s torch is reflected in their armour, and where this fades its place is taken by the light of the moon. Raphael painted this composition over the window, where the wall happened to be darkest; so when one looks at the painting the light strikes one in the face, the natural light contends with the various lights of the night in the painting itself, and the smoke of the torch, the splendour of the angel, and the dark shadows appears so natural and lifelike, that one can hardly believe this is merely a painting, so perfectly did Raphael express his complex ideas. In the armour shown in this painting he depicted so skilfully the play of the shadows, the nickering reflection of the lights and the vaporous glare of the torches mingling with the surrounding gloom that he can truly be said to be the master of every other painter. As a work reproducing the effect of night this picture is truer than any other, and it is universally regarded as outstanding and inspired.

  On one of the bare walls Raphael depicted the Divine Worship of the Hebrews, with the Ark and the Candlestick, and also the figure of Pope Julius driving Avarice out of the Temple. This scene is as beautiful and excellent as the Night described above. It includes the portraits of some papal bearers alive at that time, who are shown carrying a very lifelike Pope Julius in his litter; as the people, with some women among them, make way for the Pope one sees the furious onset of an armed man on horse back, accompanied by two others on foot; with great ferocity he is riding down and smiting the proud Heliodorus, who is seeking, on the orders of Antiochus, to plunder the Temple of the wealth stored for the widows and orphans. One sees the riches and treasures being seized and carried away; then, because of the panic caused by the strange fate of Heliodorus in being trampled and violently assaulted by the three figures mentioned above (in a visitation that only Heliodorus himself can see) the spoils are all overturned and poured out on the ground. The plunderers are thrown to the ground by the sudden horror and fear that has seized all the followers of Heliodorus. Moreover, one can see the holy Onias, the high priest, dressed in his vestments, with his eyes and hands raised towards heaven as he prays with great fervour, because of his compassion for the unhappy innocents who were about to lose their possessions; and he rejoices at the same time because he senses that help has already been sent by God. Besides this, on an inspired impulse Raphael showed a crowd of people who have climbed on to the socles of the columns, which they clasp with their arms as they strain to see what is happening. And all the onlookers show their astonishment in different ways as they wait to see what the outcome will be.

  This work was so magnificent in every respect that even the cartoons are regarded as precious. Thus some pieces of the cartoon that Raphael prepared for the Heliodorus are in the possession of Francesco Masini, a gentleman of Cesena who, lacking any teacher but guided from childhood by his natural instincts, has from his studies of drawing and painting produced pictures which have been highly praised by discriminating critics. Masini treasures these fragments as they deserve among his rich collection of drawings and antique marble reliefs. I must add that Niccolò Masini, who told me these things, is himself versatile and accomplished and greatly devoted to the arts.

  But to return to Raphael, on the ceiling above he then painted four scenes as follows: God appearing to Abraham and promising to multiply his seed; the Sacrifice of Isaac; Jacob’s Ladder; and the Burning Bush of Moses. In these may be recognized no less art, invention, draughtsmanship, and grace than in Raphael’s other works.

  While this favoured artist was producing such marvellous work, through the envy of fortune Julius II, a patron of genius and a lover of all good art, was overtaken by death. He was succeeded by Leo X who showed himself anxious for the work that had been done to be continued and thus enabled the genius of Raphael to soar even higher. Raphael, indeed, received countless favours from Leo, because he had been brought into the orbit of a great prince who followed the traditions of the Medici family in being devoted to the art of painting. So having been encouraged to continue his work, Raphael painted on the other wall the descent of Attila on Rome and his encounter at the foot of Monte Mario with Pope Leo III, whose benediction alone succeeded in driving him away. In this scene Raphael depicted St Peter and St Paul with swords in their hands flying through the air to defend the Church. (This is not in the history of Leo III, but it was perhaps Raphael’s idea to tell the story so, for it often happens that pictures, like poems, stray from the subject to make the composition more elaborate without, however, destroying its central truth.) In the two apostles may be seen the supernatural wrath and zeal that the divine justice usually imparts to the features of God’s ministers when they are charged with defending our holy religion. An indication of this is given by Attila (seen riding a black horse with white feet and a star on its forehead), for he is throwing up his head in terror and turning his body in flight. Raphael painted several other fine horses, notably a dappled jennet which is mounted by a figure covered with scales like a fish; this was copied from Trajan’s Column, where there are figures wearing armour believed to have been made of crocodile skin. And can see Monte Mario itself, covered with with flames to show that when soldiers strike camp their quarters are always deliberately destroyed by fire. For this picture Raphael also portrayed some mace-bearers accompanying the Pope who are extremely realistic, as are the horses they ride; and the same is true of the train of cardinals and of some grooms who are holding the palfrey on which, accompanied by a crowd of courtiers, the Pope is riding. This is a portrait, as lifelike as all the others, of Leo X in full pontifical robes; and the whole episode makes a charming spectacle, in keeping with the rest of the work and very useful for other painters, especially those who cannot easily find the subjects Raphael depicted.

  At this time Raphael painted a panel picture to be sent to Naples, where it was subsequently placed in the church of San Domenico, in the chapel containing the crucifix that spoke to St Thomas Aquinas. This altarpiece contains Our Lady, St Jerome robed as a cardinal, and the Angel Raphael accompanying Tobias.

  For Leonello da Carpi, ruler of Meldola (who is still living, though over ninety) Raphael painted a picture of marvellous colouring and outstanding beauty. This is a work of such strength and such enchanting delicacy that I cannot see how it could ever be surpassed. Nothing could be finer than the supernatural expression shown in the countenance of Our Lady and the modesty of her attitude; she sits with her hands clasped, adoring her son who is sitting in her lap and caressing the little St John who is also worshipping him, as are St Elizabeth and Joseph. This picture once belonged to the Very Reverend Cardinal da Carpi, the son of Leonello and a great lover of the arts; and today it must be in the possession of his heirs.

  Subsequently, when Lorenzo Pucci, cardinal of Santi Quattro, was created Grand Penitentiary, he favoured Raphael with a commission to paint an altarpiece for San Giovanni in Monte in Bologna. Today this panel is in the chapel containing the body of the Blessed Elena dall’Olio. It is a wonderful example of the grace and art that flowed from Raphae
l’s subtle workmanship. In it is a St Cecilia who stands enraptured by a choir of angels on high and, as she listens to their singing, is wholly absorbed by the music. One can see in her face the abstracted expression found in those in ecstasy; and scattered on the ground there are various musical instruments which seem real rather than merely painted, as do the veils that St Cecilia is wearing along with vestments woven in silk and gold covering a marvellously painted hair-shirt. Then again, in the expression of St Paul, standing with his right hand resting on a naked sword and his head on his hand, Raphael depicted the apostle’s profound air of knowledge no less than the dignity into which his fierce pride has been transformed. St Paul is cloaked in a simple red garment covering a green tunic, in the manner of an apostle, and his feet are bare. There is also a St Mary Magdalen shown in an enchanting pose, with a delicate vase of stone in her hand, and turning her head with an expression of great joy over her repentance; and indeed, I can think of no better example of this kind of painting. Extremely beautiful also are the heads of St Augustine and of St John the Evangelist.