Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, or Raphael, is often referred to as one of the three giants of the Italian High Renaissance, alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo. His talents were wide-ranging – we know him best today as a painter and draughtsman, but he also made designs for tapestries, sculptures and mosaics and worked as an architect. Raphael died young, at the age of just 37. Nevertheless, during his relatively short career he became one of the most famous artists of his day. We will explore how he achieved an extraordinary rise in status, tracing the development of early works in and around his hometown of Urbino, to encounters with Michelangelo and Leonardo in Florence, culminating in masterpieces of painting and drawing at the court of Pope Julius II in Rome. 

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