The Renaissance 'Prince of Painters' made a big impact in his short life

Renaissance portraits were an opportunity for the greatest painters to revel in their mastery. Raphael had painted portraits throughout his career, but as he acquired both fame and experience, these became more formally daring, like the 1514 portrait of diplomat Baldassare Castiglione. The softness of his furs and the subtlety of the colors all help focus attention on his intense eyes.

Some of Raphael’s sitters have not been identified with certainty. Painted between 1512-15, “La Velata” (“The Veiled One”) is one example, although it is likely she is the same figure depicted in “La Fornarina.” The sfumato shading around her face is reminiscent of Leonardo, and Raphael has taken great care in the detail of her sleeve.

Painted near the end of his life, Raphael’s “Leo X With Two Cardinals” is a highly inventive break with formal portraiture. Leo X is realistically shown as the middle-aged man he was. An open prayer book lies before him, but the pope must use the magnifying glass he is holding to read it. His attendants have been identified as Giulio de’ Medici (left), the future Pope Clement VII, and Cardinal Luigi de’ Rossi (right).