Raphael was born Raffaello Santi in Urbino in 1483. His father, Giovanni Santi, was a painter at the court of Federico da Montefeltro's successors. Growing up in this environment exposed Raphael at an early age to painting and to the sophisticated culture of an Italian Renaissance court.
Raphael lost both of his parents while still young. His early artistic development remains imperfectly documented, but the influence of Pietro Perugino became especially important. Raphael absorbed Perugino's balanced compositions and graceful figures while rapidly developing an independent style.
By 1500 Raphael was working as an independent master. During the following years he worked in several cities of central Italy. He gained particular recognition for altarpieces and devotional paintings.
Raphael moved to Florence around 1504. There he encountered the work of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. His paintings from this period reveal an increasing command of anatomy, movement, and the organization of figures within space.
Images of the Virgin and Child became an important part of Raphael's reputation. He repeatedly explored the relationship between Mary, Jesus, and the young John the Baptist. Rather than simply repeating a formula, he continually reorganized the figures and their interactions.
In 1508 Pope Julius II summoned Raphael to Rome. He was only about twenty-five years old. Raphael was entrusted with the decoration of rooms in the Vatican Palace that are now known as the Stanze di Raffaello, or Raphael Rooms.
His success at the Vatican transformed him into one of the most sought-after artists in Rome. He received commissions for paintings, frescoes, portraits, architecture, and decorative projects. Raphael eventually directed a large workshop that allowed him to undertake projects on an exceptional scale.
Under Pope Leo X, Raphael received another important biblical commission. He designed a series of tapestries for the lower walls of the Sistine Chapel. The subjects were drawn principally from the lives of the apostles Peter and Paul. Full-scale painted cartoons were prepared in Rome and sent to Brussels, where the tapestries were woven in the workshop of Pieter van Aelst.
Raphael also became increasingly involved with architecture and the study of ancient Rome. After the death of Donato Bramante, he assumed responsibilities connected with the rebuilding of Saint Peter's Basilica. His interest in antiquity extended to the preservation and study of ancient monuments.
Raphael died in Rome in 1520 at the age of thirty-seven. He was buried in the Pantheon. Despite his short life, he left an enormous body of work and a large group of pupils and collaborators. His compositions continued to influence European religious art for centuries.