Five hundred years after the death of Raffaello Sanzio, Italy pays tribute to the great artist with an exhibition, from 5 March to 2 June 2020, at the Scuderie del Quirinale, able to retrace the life of one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance. An incredible journey with over 200 works, including paintings, tapestries, architectural projects (all attributable to Raphael's conception) which have made the art of Urbino the undisputed basis of the western artistic canon.
Carried out by the Scuderie del Quirinale together with the Uffizi Galleries, curated by Marzia Faietti and Matteo Lafranconi, the project benefited from the collaboration of countless art institutions. A unique opportunity to see together, for the first time in the same place, works loved all over the world, from the most important museums and national and international collections, including: National Galleries of Ancient Art, National Pinoteca of Bologna, Galleria Borghese, the Vatican Museums, the Louvre, the Prado Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the British Museum and many more.
Following an original backward path, the exhibition starts from the day of the artist's death, April 6, 1520, with a spectacular life-size reproduction of Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon, created by the Factotum Foundation for Digital Technology in Conservation, world leader in digital surveys related to heritage conservation. Two imposing columns of red jasper and black and white marble, with the Madonna del Sasso in the center and the child in her arms, open the exhibition most eagerly awaited by art lovers.
The review, of a breadth never attempted before, represents not only a great opportunity for international visibility for our country but also an opportunity for tourists, specialists and enthusiasts to meet.
Among the paintings, it stands out the portrait of Leo X with cardinals Giulio De' Medici and Luigi De' Rossi, restored in the last three years by the Opificio delle Pietre dure in Florence. Despite the controversy by the scientific committee of the Uffizi Gallery, the painting eventually reached the capital. The pope, intent on reading, is seated at a table covered by a red cloth on the chair, on the knob of which a reflection of the window can be seen. Behind him there are two cardinals, Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de' Rossi, motionless, so as to accentuate the stoic character of the representation. The colours, all tending towards red, make the atmosphere calm but, at the same time, alluding to papal power.
Like Laura for Petrarca, Silvia for Leopardi, Margherita for Raphael. She is the daughter of a baker from Trastevere, so beautiful that she "kidnapped" the young painter, so that she became his inspiring muse. She is Margherita Luti, of Sienese origins, whose nickname derives from the profession of her father. Two paintings depict the young beloved. According to Roman legend they would have met right in the streets of Trastevere, where the sight of the girl made the artist fall madly in love. A passion so overwhelming as to make the young Roman muse for many of her paintings.
In “Fornarina”, the pose of the hands refers to the model of the Venus pudica of classical statuary, in which the woman portrayed with her breasts uncovered covers herself with a transparent veil. Furthermore, the bracelet that reads "Raphael Urbinas" is another reference to the goddess of love.
Another painting dedicated to his beloved is the “Veiled”. So named because of the long veil that covers the head and shoulders of the woman, depicted in half size. The veil is a detail that always recalls the iconography of the Virgin. Strong contrast between the clothes and the colors of the muse.
Often the protagonist of Raphael's works is the Madonna. During the event you can admire the Our Lady of Alba. In a bucolic panorama, we find Mary seated on the ground holding the Child Jesus on one leg, who plays with the young Saint John by grabbing his cross, the fulcrum of the composition. The influence of Florentine masters, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, seems evident.
The highlight of the event remains, however, the Letter from Raphael to Leo X, on the theme of the protection and conservation of the vestiges of ancient Rome. Datable to 1519, written together with Baldassarre Castiglione, it is the testimony of love for ancient Rome.
These are just a few examples of the great Italian artist's masterpieces. The imposing tapestries, the architectural projects together with the drawings constitute an invaluable heritage of Italian culture, as well as the opportunity for visitors to retrace the creative experience of the Urbino area.
An unprecedented event, with bookings from all over the world which have now exceeded 70 tickets booked, despite the health emergency that is affecting our country. For this reason, the visits are organized according to the rules laid down by the government bodies.
