Raphael And Michelangelo: The Humanist Movement In Italy

The Humanist movement in Italy represents a revival of classical themes through texts and art in order to learn about human life. This guided artists and scholars through their lives. Renaissance artists took inspiration for their artistic themes and portrayal of the human body from classical antiquity. This was evident especially with two artists, Raphael and Michelangelo, who worked under the Papacy, while flourishing during the High Renaissance by drawing influences from other artists. Raphael and Michelangelo’s artworks reveal Renaissance themes of intellectual importance, and the humanity of the individual with their style of artwork and method for creation by drawing on humanism’s focus on antiquity.

Humanism began with educated professionals

With commissioned restoration projects different artists were brought from other areas of Italy, especially Florence. Two of these artists were Raphael and Michelangelo (Hibbert 143). Raphael first learned to paint from his father, and then later apprenticed under Perugino. He was known for his power to learn from everyone and absorb styles he studied. Raphael was also influenced by artists of his time, especially Michelangelo (Kleiner & Tansey 740). This key skill was important in that it helped Raphael be portrayed as a skilled artist, and someone whose knowledge paired with his skills in order for him to succeed in his art. Michelangelo, from Florence, grew up studying art even though his father didn’t support him, and then learned from the famous artist, Ghirlandaio. A Medici, allowing him to study classical sculptures, later took him in (Vasari 138-9). He was influenced by classical sculptures in many ways, including the portrayal of the male nude body and his obsession with the beautiful anatomy of the body. This allowed Michelangelo to learn skills from the best of the ancient world that he would later build off of with his artistic

The historian, Giorgio Vasari, considered him to be like a “mortal god” due to his gifts and virtues (130). His art was considered graceful and beautiful because of his perfection of nature and his focus on realistic human qualities. Raphael’s epitaph states that with his death Nature feared she would die (Vasari 137). His paintings also represented a planned and perfected structure, taught by his mentor, Perugino, bringing harmony to his artwork (Kleiner & Tansy 740). This theme of perfected harmony embodies what people were striving for in art during the Renaissance. Raphael was commissioned to paint the walls of a library in the papal apartments at the Vatican. He painted the four walls to represent valued areas of learning and wisdom during the Renaissance. One of the walls his mural, School of Athens, represents the study of philosophy (Kleiner & Tansey 741). To accomplish this he portrays famous ancient philosophers and scientists that were popular with humanists during the Renaissance (741). He also incorporates ancient gods as statues following with the humanism movement. The intellectuals in the mural are engaging with one another and portrayed with movement, all with realistic human gestures. The scene shows Raphael’s mastery of perspective and mathematical placement; he even paints himself in the scene among mathematicians (Kleiner & Tansey 742). This painting proves