Highlights of the Raphael anniversary exhibition in Rome

Raphael died at the age of 37, but he was celebrated as an artistic genius during his lifetime. He enjoyed the privilege of being known only by his first name; his full name was Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino. Admirers also called him the "Divine." His talent was interpreted as a sign of special closeness to God.

The head of the Catholic Church brought Raphael to the Vatican in 1508. At the time, the artist was only 24 years old but already wildly popular. At the Vatican, he created many of his major works, including the frescoes in what have become known as the Raphael Rooms. The frescos in four of the Apostolic Palace's rooms are regarded as Renaissance masterpieces.

In Rome, famous personalities — including, of course, the two popes — commissioned portraits by Raphael. The above painting shows Pope Leo X, who followed Julius II to the papacy in 1513. Leo X commissioned the Raphael Rooms as well as the construction of St. Peter's Basilica. The fact that both papal portraits can be seen together at the exhibition is a sensation.

Raphael painted a large number of portraits of the Madonna (above, "Madonna dell'Impannata" from 1511). The painting is not stylized but shows an actual woman interacting with her child — that made it special. The works radiate a timeless calm and loving attention that still fascinates today.

The Madonna motif (above, "La Madonna della Rosa, 1518 – 1520) continued to be in high demand so Raphael took to employing students who painted for him at his workshop. In some cases, it is not clear how many brushstrokes are Raphael's and what parts of the painting were completed by his students.

Raphael's work style was unusually complex. Before he started an oil painting, he would make a large number of sketches that went through various stages. In between, he studied figures, postures and also muscle tension, as in the above drawing.