done in Città di Castello in the vicinity of Perugia, and certainly not the least, is the Sposalizio or Betrothal of the Virgin (1504). Here Raphael triumphantly overcame all the challenges.
The Three Graces
1504–1505
Oil on wood, 17 × 17 cm
Musée Condé, Chantilly
The landscape, vast and flooded with light, is indescribably charming, while a polygonal temple, which would have done honour to the most sophisticated architect, has taken the place of the hybrid building in Perugino’s treatment of the subject. This temple is a masterpiece of taste and elegance, showing us the intellectual relationship Raphael had with his illustrious compatriot Bramante.
Portrait of the Doge Leonardo Loredan
c. 1504–1505
Metal point, 12.1 × 10.4 cm
Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille
The young artist was proud of his work, and he had reason to be. Therefore, whereas previously he had modestly hidden his initials or his signature, he now boldly wrote on the façade of the building these simple words, designed to strike the astonished and delighted masses who crowded around the new altar painting at the church of Saint Francis: Raphael Vrbinas MDIIII.
Head and shoulders of a woman, in three-quarter profile facing left, with folded arms
c. 1504–1507
Pen and brown ink, traces of black chalk, glued layers of paper, 22.2 × 15.9 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris
Raphael Travels to Siena – The Vision of a Knight
The period between the years 1504 and 1508 is surely the most agitated in the life of Raphael. He was by turns in Perugia, Città di Castello, Siena, Urbino, Florence, perhaps also in Bologna, then once more in Perugia and Urbino, although it is impossible to establish with certainty the respective dates of these different journeys.
Saint George and the Dragon, known as The Small Saint George
1505
Oil on wood, 31 × 27 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris
At times, as in Urbino, the young master took part in all the entertainments of a cultured and brilliant court; at others, as in his new peregrinations across Umbria, he was hard at work. In one place he left behind a masterpiece, and in another he established fast friendships. Looking at his style or choice of subject matter, one is struck by their diversity; religious history and secular history, portraits, easel painting and monumental frescos – there is nothing at which he did not try his hand.
Eight Nude Men besieging Perugia
1505
Pen, brown ink, stylus, 26.6 × 40.6 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris
He was interested in and influenced by Signorelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Frà Bartolommeo, and Masaccio almost simultaneously; then he abruptly reverted to the Perugino manner. More than once the observer feels completely disoriented, and yet, through all of these apparent contradictions, Raphael continued to grow and advance.
It is this period, in all probability, that produced the charming little painting, now in the National Gallery in London, The Vision of a Knight. It is the first time that we see Raphael portraying a secular subject, and he does so with a charm and loftiness fit to discourage even the most eminent master.
Warrior on Horseback with a Shield
1505
Pen and ink, 25.7 × 21 cm
Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice
Through a stroke of genius, the young master, leaving mythology aside, sought his inspiration in a less distant, more real, tradition. He called upon these centuries so rich in poetry, these Middle Ages which Pulci and Boiardo had made interesting; he chose to evoke that knighthood whose noble aspirations and high exploits could rival those of classical heroes. The form of a dream, a vision, which he gives to the scene further adds, if such is possible, to the delicacy and depth of the artist’s conception.
Standard Bearer
1505
Pen and ink, 25.7 × 21 cm
Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice
Raphael Returns to Urbino
Meanwhile, his lengthy stay in Umbria had not caused Raphael to forget his native city, his beloved Urbino. Once he had fulfilled his obligations in Perugia and in Città di Castello, he resolved to go and see his relatives, his uncle Simon and the Montefeltro family who ruled the Duchy of Urbino, to whom his father had been a friend much more than a subject. This trip took place in 1504, perhaps on his return from Siena.
Madonna and Child with an Angel and the Infant Saint John, known as Madonna Terranuova
1505
Oil on poplar wood, diameter: 88.5 cm
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Berlin
Considering only painting, the court of Urbino supplied Raphael with varied and picturesque subjects. The learned conversations presided over by Duchess Elisabetta, the theatrical performances, the frequent references to classical Antiquity, animated his brush by turns.
But the citizens of Urbino had even stronger sentiments in their hearts. In the wake of cruel hardships such as the invasion of the duchy by the Borgias, and after a deliverance they had scarcely dared hope for, patriotism was in the air.
The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Nicholas of Bari, known as Madonna Ansidei
1505
Oil on poplar wood, 216.8 × 147.6 cm
The National Gallery, London
Raphael could not have been unaware of such things. There is no doubt that in his Saint George and Saint Michael, both painted for Guidobaldo
