The Metropolitan Museum of Art is preparing a major spring retrospective dedicated to Raphael, the Italian Renaissance master who died in 1520 before his 40th birthday. This will be his first such exhibition in the United States, aiming to reassess an artist traditionally viewed as a facile, efficient prodigy rather than a deep intellectual.
The exhibition challenges the long-held perception of Raphael, largely shaped by his early death and by rival Michelangelo's accusations of plagiarism. It posits that had Raphael lived longer, his reputation might have evolved to showcase greater artistic independence and intellectual depth, potentially rivaling the legacy of Leonardo or Michelangelo. The show seeks to move beyond his popular image of charming cherubs to explore the complex, ambitious courtier and architect he was becoming.