Late Raphael

Good exhibition  at the Louvre in Paris on the later work of Raphael.

It started with five large pictures and accompanying drawings including some commissioned by Pope Leo X for Francis I. A real strength of this exhibition was the bringing together of paintings and their drawings.

There was a heavy emphasis on works for the popes including the decoration of the papal apartments. there was a good definition of studio of that Raphael "controlled it's quality and homogeneity". 

There was also an emphasis on his legacy and followers mainly Giulio Romano and Gian Francesco Penni with a gallery devoted to each of their works. Romano was more mannerist in style while Penni was quite delicate.

The exhibition saved the best till last with a room of stunning portraits many of which were old friends. Particularly beautiful was a Romano picture of a young man thought to be a Medici. 

However the whole thing confirmed my suspicion that Raphael copied and imitated other people a lot so it is hard to see his true artistic eye. He was a true business man who found out what sold and kept doing it!     

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