Rafael. Portrait of a Young Man

Raffaello Sanzio (Urbino, 1483-Rome, 1520) arrived in Rome from Florence, probably in the autumn of 1508. According to Giorgio Vasari (1550), the young artist was summoned to the court of Pope Julius II (1503-1513) on the recommendation of Bramante, also from Urbino and at that point in charge of the works on Saint Peter's. Once in Rome, Raphael was immediately contracted to take part in the decoration of the Pope's private apartments, located in the north wing of the Vatican complex. He began work on the room known as the Stanza della Segnatura. His astonishingly innovative style, allied to his unprecedented approach to narration was such that the decorations realised shortly before by other artists were destroyed and the entire project awarded to Raphael.