Sketchbook Practice to Draw: Raffaello Sanzio

by Raffaello Sanzio

Vasari wrote that Raphael was as brilliant as Michelangelo but more he combined "art and character".Raphael was not only one of the greatest, but also one of the most prolific artists of his time. In his short life, he managed to make more than 400 drawings, many of which, unfortunately, have not survived to our days. Raphael lived at a turning point when there was a transition from the old technique of drawing to the new one. In his youth, the main tool of the artist was a silver pencil and pen, and by the end of his life, most of the artists switched to crayons (usually black or red), introduced in the practice of Leonardo da Vinci. Thanks to this replacement there is a transition from the prevailing in the XV century technique of linear stroke to a freer style, typical for the High Renaissance. Raphael equally easily used any of the famous techniques of drawing of his time and was brilliant with the silver pencil, which continued to work until 1515, that is, even when most artists have already abandoned this attribute, considering it outdated. Almost all of Raphael's drawings were a stage of preparation for painting large canvases. Among them, there are also cursory sketches like a sketch, which recorded the first ideas of the artist regarding the future picture and carefully designed sketches. Among Raphael's clients were princes and popes, and his drawings were desired by collectors both during the artist's lifetime and now.

162 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2021