Description of the painting by Raphael Santi “Portrait of a Cardinal”

Description of the painting by Raphael Santi Portrait of a Cardinal

Raphael is a recognized master of portrait painting. True and genre scenes from him were no less better than portraits. But still his portrait work is amazing.

Before us is one of his, perhaps, the best works. This is a portrait of a cardinal. The portrait is not yet an old cleric.

Striking face, which blows calm, confidence in his faith. But there is still something in his appearance – imperiousness. It is she who flashes in the eyes, in a confident pose, in slightly compressed lips. This person knows for sure that any word he says is a law that not only a monk, but also a simple citizen, cannot cross. On the canvas, the Cardinal is very calm, but who knows what he was like in life?

Rafael created this canvas by order and apparently pleased the cardinal, since he had been kept in his chambers for a long time. And once pleased, it means that the artist depicted just as it should depict him. So, did not lie.

Already during his lifetime, Raphael was recognized as a very talented painter and architect. He erected several buildings in Rome and managed to write several dozen canvases. The master died too early, very young by the standards of the time. Yes, and by our standards, too.

It is said that his departure hastened his perverse behavior. In any case, so says Vasari. But with this statement, many historians of the Renaissance culture disagree and are inclined to believe that the painter died from the Roman fever. But even after leaving us, he left a brilliant memory of himself.

Only his “Madonna” is worth something or it is enough to recall only one – “Sistine Madonna”. This would probably be enough to be remembered for many centuries. By the way, Rafael was buried in the Pantheon – the most incredible building of Rome, to which he also laid his hand and his genius.


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Description of the painting by Raphael Santi “Portrait of a Cardinal”