The young Raphael (1483–1520) probably received his first training in his father's workshop in Urbino. The Duke of Urbino, Federigo da Montefeltro (ruled 1444–1482), employed some of the most inventive artists of his time, who painted in oil and studied perspective. Raphael developed his skills as a painter with Pietro Perugino in Umbria. Delicate figures and translucent, blended paint layers make his earliest works stunning depictions of the real world.
Raphael moved to Florence in around 1504. The city was bustling with ambitious painters and sculptors who explored nature, mathematical perspective and classical sculpture. Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings and Michelangelo’s sculptures had a profound impact on Raphael’s understanding of the human figure. His works quickly became more ambitious. He painted altarpieces, portraits and paintings for private devotion. They were celebrated for their unrivalled harmony of colour, airy landscapes and gracious figures. Raphael’s meteoric rise made him one of the most sought-after painters in Florence. Only a few years later, Pope Julius II called him to Rome to work for the papal court.
