Raphael Sanzio, Renaissance Master, famously was born on Good Friday 1483 and died on Good Friday 1520. Ever since writing about him in my coauthored novel The Sidewalk Artist, I have felt a special affinity for the artist and make it a point to remember him annually on the Friday before Easter.
In 2020, the 500th anniversary of his death was commemorated, albeit in much more muted fashion than originally planned due to the pandemic that hit in March. In tandem, I created a page where I posted the myriad exhibits and other events connected to Raphael, including many blogposts I researched and wrote.
Here are a few of my favorite posts, interspersed with a few of my favorite paintings:
Raphael, Kind of Like an Old Boyfriend – my musings on the Renaissance man
That’s Amore: Raphael’s Love Life
A mystery 70 years in the making: Will we ever know what happened to Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man, which was stolen during World War II?
Raphael Roundup: Books and Films
Raphael: A Visual Salve for Stressful Days
Happy birthday, Raphael. And may you rest in peace.
Gina Buonaguro 