Tag: Raphael

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Graphite Drawing After Raphael

Graphite pencil studies of a kneeling woman

This next post contains a pencil drawing that was copied from a work by the great Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino or if you prefer just plain old Raphael. The original by Raphael was done in black chalk and is in the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford.

You are probably asking yourself, who is Raphael, what is an Ashmolean, where is Oxford and what is black chalk. Look, I don’t have time to answer all your questions. Let’s just talk about the Ashmolean Museum.

The Ashmolean, like most things in England is very old. It was founded in 1683 and is a museum of art and archaeology from Ancient Egypt to the latest and greatest contemporary art. It began when the filthy rich, antiquity studying Elias Ashmole gave his various Knick knacks and doodads to the University or Oxford. It was England’s first public museum. But who is this generous man by the name of Elias Ashmole. Mr. Ashmole was not only a great gift giver but also
politician, officer of arms and amateur alchemist. He loved to study history, law, botany, medicine, stenography, chorography (which has to do with mapping areas that are greater than topography and less that geography), numismatics (which has something to do with money) and believe it or not, astrology. He really seemed to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge or perhaps lack focus. Typical Gemini, am I right?

During the English Civil War which lasted from 1642 to 1651, Elias Ashmole supported the Royalists. The Royalists supported the divine right of the monarch, who at that time was King Charles I, to govern England. Elias Ashmole opposed the Parliamentarians. The Parliamentarians supported, you guessed it, the parliamentary.

The knowledge of Nature is very necessary to human life and health.

Elias Ashmole

Elias Ashmole did not have any kids but he was married three times, which might be his greatest achievement, convincing three women to become Mrs. Ashmole.

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Graphite Drawing After Raphael

Copy in Graphite of a drawing of the Drapery of 'Horace' and three hands by Raphael

Here we have a drawing copied once again by the great Italian master Raphael Sanzio. Located in the collection of the British museum, it was done in black pen and brown ink. My copy was done in graphite pencil. The drawing is a study of drapery and three hands. Like the last post, it is also a study for the fresco ‘Disputation of the Holy Sacrament’. And once again I have turned to ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting on this post. So like anyone in my position, I asked ChatGPT to write about the artist Raphael in the style of Dr. Seuss. And in a scolding tone, replied: I’m sorry, but there is no known connection between the artist Raphael and the style of Dr. Seuss. Raphael was a High Renaissance painter and architect from Italy who worked primarily in the 15th and 16th centuries, while Dr. Seuss was an American author and illustrator who worked primarily in the mid-20th century and is best known for his whimsical and playful style of drawing and storytelling. While there may be some similarities in their use of color and composition, it is unlikely that Raphael had any direct influence on the style of Dr. Seuss. So I researched Dr. Seuss because I get sidetracked easily and found out he wrote in a style called: anapestic tetrameter. So I asked ChatGPT: Write about the artist Raphael in anapestic tetrameter. And ChatGPT happily replied:

In Urbino, Italy, Raphael was born,
A painter of the High Renaissance morn,
With skills in architecture, art he adorned,
And left his mark before he was gone.

His works are known for their grace and beauty,
With figures that exude a sense of duty,
And colors that shimmer, lively and fruity,
A feast for the eyes, a painterly booty.

From the Vatican to the Medici’s halls,
His art adorned both great and small,
A master of his craft, he stood tall,
A legacy that still enthralls us all.

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Pen and Ink Drawing After Raphael Sanzio

Study of the Disputa After a Drawing by Raphael

Next up on our old master artist copy-a-thon, we have a drawing in ink copied from a work by Raphael. My copy was done with the ever-popular gel ink pen available at the finest art supply stores. Stores like Target and Walgreens for example. The original by Raphael was done with brown ink over a non-gel black ink pen. It is a study for the his fresco entitled ‘Disputation of the Holy Sacrament’ located in the Apostolic Palace inside the Vatican. At the tender age of twenty-five, Raphael obtained an important commission from Pope Julius II to decorate a ceremonial hall in the Vatican. Saints, priests, scholars, and poets are portrayed in the fresco. This drawing shows a detail of the overall composition. To portray the figures as lively and realistically as possible, Raphael created nude studies of each after a live model. The individual studies are brought together in this drawing to determine the spatial relationship between the figures. Now I’m not a writer so I am already getting very tired of writing. So I turned to technology to help me write about Raphael.

I used the artificial intelligence wunderkind known as ChatGPT to write about Raphael’s personality. According to ChatGPT, Raphael was gentle and affable. He had a great sense of humor and a warm, welcoming demeanor. He was easy to get along with. He was devoted to his faith. Raphael was highly skilled in networking and socializing. He was well-liked by both royalty and popes. On top of that he had wit, charm and of course, was incredibly artistically talented.

I used to admire Raphael, but due to ChatGPT, I find him very annoying. And that my friends is progress.
What about the subject of ‘Disputa’? Well, what about it ChatGPT? I tried to ask ChatGPT and it told me and I quote “!
Something went wrong. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.” So there you go, that is all I have for today.

Click here if you want to see an image of the study of the Disputa by Raphael.

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Graphite Drawing After Raphael Sanzio

Graphite drawing of raphael

The graphite drawing above is a copy of a work done in black chalk by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino or if you prefer just Raphael. I feel sorry for anyone else by the name of Raffaello or Raphael because it is highly unlikely that the world will remember them by their first name alone. The original drawing by Raphael, described as ‘Nude Man seated on a Stone’, is in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford. The image on their website has a watermark on it so you will have to imagine the original drawing having no watermark. Now I shall consult the trusty Wikipedia to write about the drawings of Raphael.

Raphael was regarded as one of the finest draftsmen in Western art history. Before he began a composition, he would lay out several of his stock drawings on the floor and start drawing quickly, borrowing figures from here, there, and everywhere. According to the number of variations that survive, Raphael combined different drawings into his poses and compositions. Raphael would come up with four or six strategies to show a narrative, each one different from the next, and all of them were full of elegance and originality. The art of Raphael represents a shift in resources from production to research and development. A full-size preliminary drawing or ‘cartoon’ was made and then pricked with a pin and “pounced” with soot to leave dotted lines on the surface as a guide for completing the painted composition. He also used a metal stylus to scratch lines on paper and plaster, leaving only an indentation, but no marks. They can be seen on the walls of his frescoes and in the originals of many drawings. In his final years, Raphael was one of the first artists to use female models for preparatory drawings. Up to this time, only male models were used to draw and paint both male and female figures.

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Graphite Drawing After Raphael Sanzio

Copy of Raphael's Drawing "nude man between two females"

Here is a drawing copied from a work by Raphael Sanzio entitled “nude man between two females”. Raphael’s original drawing was done in pen and ink and is in the collection at the Musee Bonnat in Bayonne. You are probably wondering if it is in Bayonne, France, or Bayonne, New Jersey. Are you really thinking that? I created my drawing in pencil, which is now stored in a folder on a shelf beside my bed. This is one of my drawings that I wasn’t sure if I should even bother uploading. However, since you’re willing to read this blog, you are also willing to view bad copies of old master drawings.

“she said a lot of things”

Now let’s talk a little about Raphael Sanzio. This information comes from the J. Paul Getty Museum of Art. My great-grandmother used to say that we are relatives of J. Paul Getty. Of course, she said a lot of things. I remember she told me she never dropped a dinner plate because she had a strong grip. I think I’m getting off-topic. Now let’s listen to Mister ‘Fancy Pants’ Getty talk about Raffaello.

During the 16th century, the artist biographer Giorgio Vasari crowned Raphael as the “Prince of Painters.” Raphael learned painting from his father and experienced court life in Urbino during his youth. At age 12, Raphael entered the workshop of Urbino’s leading painter and quickly surpassed him. At 21, Raphael moved to Florence, where he studied the art of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. In Florence, Raphael painted the Madonna and Child many times, displaying his characteristic warmth, serenity, and perfection. As a painter to the papal court, Raphael’s work met with high praise, and he became the most famous artist in Rome within four years. In addition to architecture, paintings, decorations, and antiquities preservation, Raphael was also in charge of all papal projects. The pope was planning to make Raphael a cardinal, but unfortunately, Raphael died before that could happen. He was only 37 years old.

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Graphite Drawing of the Three Graces After Raphael

Copy of The Three Graces by Raphael

The image in this blog post is a copy in graphite pencil of a Raphael drawing originally done in red chalk. The subject is “The Three Graces”. In Raphael’s drawing there are three nude figures representing, you guessed it, The Three Graces. I only drew two. Why did I only draw two? Because Raphael is Raphael and I am me. Raphael was a great artist and I am, like I said before, myself, that of which I am. At this point I would say something self deprecating like; I ain’t no Raphael but today I need to conserve as much self confidence as possible. So let us talk about The Three Graces. I must warn you up front that whenever I try to learn about Greek Mythology my brain shuts down. I mean like I have to lie down and take a nap in the fetal position type of breakdown. So in the interest of both of us I will basically just cut and paste whatever information I come across.

“She glows like a EcoSmart Light Bulb.”

The Three Graces, also called Charites, come from Greek mythology. In his work “Theogony” Hesiod describes three Graces. So let me introduce to you, the reader, the Three Graces.

First off we have Aglaea. She represents Radiance. She glows like a EcoSmart Light Bulb. I am neither endorsed or have any professional or personal relationship with the EcoSmart brand. I was just trying to be clever.

Next up we have Euphrosyne. She represents “Joy”. She is basically the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor (antidepressant) of the ancient world. Her side effects might include:
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Headache
• Drowsiness
• Dry mouth
• Insomnia
• Nervousness, agitation or restlessness
• Dizziness

The last but not certainly least grace, even though that is probably the one I left out in the drawing, is Thalia. She is a Mexican singer, businesswoman, and former actress. Born in Mexico City, she first achieved recognition as a member of the successful pop group Timbiriche from 1986 through 1989. Wait that’s the wrong Thalia. Anyway, she represents Flowering. Her parents were Zeus and Eurynome. I’m starting to get sleepy. That’s all for now.

Click here to see the drawing of the Three Graces by Raphael Sanzio.

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Graphite Drawing After Raphael

Pencil drawing after Raphael

This here image is a drawing I made from a sketch by Raphael Sanzio entitled “Two Naked Figures Crouching under a Shield” which was drawn about 1512 during the Italian Renaissance. My copy was drawn during the Covid Pandemic. The original drawing is in the Royal Collection Trust in London. So if you want to see it, you have to be in the Royal Family or visit Windsor castle between 10am and 5pm (Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays). I had to visit their website to verify the hours. That just goes to show you how well researched my blog posts are. The copy I made is somewhere around here. I just have to remember where I put it. OK now I know where it is. If you want to see mine you can contact me and make an appointment. Mine is like the one by Raphael but not as important nor as finely drawn. It is newer though.

“He was known to speak with a Brooklyn accent.”

Now let’s start some fancy art history learning. Here is some interesting information I found on the internet. Raphael was the second oldest of the brothers, but was often portrayed as the eldest. Raphael is usually shown with a red mask over one eye. Raphael carried a twin sai, the points were very sharp. He used this as his main weapon. Raphael was known for being short-tempered, aggressive, sullen, and extremely rebellious. He was known to speak with a Brooklyn accent. His mask was red so it is possible that the color red represented anger. Raphael was always angry for some unknown reason. He believed he is one of a kind and therefore will always be alone. His nickname was Raph and he is one of the four main characters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and .. oh no I searched for the wrong Raphael, I’m so very sorry.