America’s Largest-Ever Exhibition on Raphael Will Open at the Met Next Year

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will host "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," the largest-ever U.S. exhibition dedicated to the Renaissance master, opening March 29, 2026. Featuring over 200 works, the show includes loans from major institutions such as the Uffizi, Prado, Galleria Borghese, British Museum, Louvre, and National Gallery of Art. Curated by Carmen Bambach, who previously organized the Met's blockbuster 2017 Michelangelo exhibition, the show spans Raphael's three career periods—Urbino, Florence, and Rome—and highlights recent scientific discoveries and his portrayal of women. A centerpiece is the reunion of Raphael's preparatory sketches with his painting *The Alba Madonna*.

This exhibition matters because it offers an unprecedented, comprehensive view of Raphael's genius in the United States, assembling rarely loaned works from around the world. The Met's track record with Bambach's Michelangelo show, which drew over 700,000 visitors, suggests this will be a major cultural event in 2026. The show also advances scholarship by incorporating new scientific findings and a focused look at Raphael's revolutionary use of female nude models, deepening public understanding of the artist's legacy.