Raphael

Renaissance master Raphael (1483-1520) achieved near-mythic status for his perfectly balanced compositions and idealized beauty. Born Raffaello Sanzio in Urbino, he trained under Perugino before moving to Florence in 1504, where he absorbed lessons from Leonardo and Michelangelo. Pope Julius II summoned him to Rome in 1508 to decorate the Vatican apartments, launching a career that would define High Renaissance aesthetics.

His Vatican frescoes, particularly The School of Athens in the Stanza della Segnatura, represent pinnacles of Western art. Raphael's Madonnas became templates for religious imagery for centuries. The Sistine Madonna (1512-14), now at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden, inspired German Romantics and remains beloved for its angel putti. Raphael died on his 37th birthday and was buried in the Pantheon. Today the Vatican Museums hold his greatest frescoes, while the Louvre displays major paintings including Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione. The National Gallery in London and Uffizi also preserve significant works.