Renaissance Masters: Raphael, Leonardo, Botticelli, and Donatello
Raphael (1483-1520)
Raphael, born in Urbino, was marked by an early start in the art world. The premature death of his father forced him into the profession. His first major work was the painting *The Marriage of the Virgin* in 1504. He gradually absorbed diverse influences, from Piero della Francesca to Leonardo da Vinci. After spending time in Venice and Rome, he returned to Florence, where the presence of Leonardo and Michelangelo persuaded him to stay and learn for four years.
In 1508, Raphael left Florence for Rome to participate in decorating the rooms of Pope Julius II. He created *The School of Athens* during this period. After Julius II’s death, Leo X commissioned *The Fire in the Borgo*. Stylistic changes are evident in Raphael’s work from this stage. He gained a reputation and prestige as a portraitist. Following Bramante’s death in 1514, Raphael embarked on an architectural career that lasted until his own death. His most significant achievement in this field was his appointment as architect of the Fabbrica di San Pietro. He altered Bramante’s draft but could not carry it out due to his untimely death.
Raphael was considered the maximum expression of the humanist ideal and an example of balance in the Cinquecento. He has sometimes been regarded as a syncretic artist, with a virtue for assimilating the best of the great masters, especially during his Florentine period. Raphael was also innovative in his portraiture, as seen in his *Portrait of Leo X*.
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Leonardo da Vinci, born in Florence and later residing in Amboise, began his training in Verrocchio’s workshop. At the age of 20, he was admitted as a painter to the Company of Saint Luke. Years later, he created *The Virgin of the Rocks*. However, his activities extended beyond the artistic realm, and he soon delved into many facets of experiential knowledge. Much of his scientific life was spent in Milan under Ludovico il Moro. He combined this activity with the creation of works such as *The Lady with an Ermine* and his world-famous *The Last Supper*.
In 1499, Leonardo wandered through several cities before returning to Tuscany. He worked for Cesare Borgia as a military engineer, designing fortifications in Umbria. In Florence in 1503, he painted the *Mona Lisa*. Leonardo represents the definition of a Renaissance man due to his influence in the Cinquecento. His talents and contributions include classicism, even though few of his Quattrocento paintings have survived to the present day. This scarcity adds more value to his works.
Leonardo proposed a new system of perspective, arguing that linear perspective distorts the natural vision of things and that everything in nature is changeable and fleeting. This concept should be reflected in the new work. Consequently, aerial perspective would mean the *sfumato*, the blurring of colors.
Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510)
Sandro Botticelli’s painting depicts the path of full Platonic idealization in the midst of the Renaissance. A follower of the Neoplatonic current that developed in the Medici court, Botticelli can be considered a pure aesthetician, a mystic of beauty. His painting is delicate and subtle, with defined lines and dancing rhythms. Light and diaphanous crystalline tones make his paintings poetic.
Botticelli’s training took place in the workshop of Fra Filippo Lippi, followed by that of Verrocchio. He coincided with Leonardo, who was seven years younger. The antithesis between the two personalities highlights the difference between Botticelli’s Florentine period and Leonardo’s. The former can be considered the last of the great geniuses of the Quattrocento, and the latter the first great genius of the Cinquecento.
Donatello (Sculpture)
Donatello was a man of the people who learned his trade working in workshops until he entered the circle of Ghiberti. He was a friend and companion of Brunelleschi, although a social gulf existed between them. It is said that when Donatello carved a wooden crucifix in Santa Croce, Brunelleschi reproached him, arguing that the proportions should be perfect since it represented a divinity. Brunelleschi represents the intellectual and idealizing trend, while Donatello represents the dramatic and realistic.