Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying art medium made with pigment and a drying-oil binder that allows extended working time, smooth blending, and layered application.
Painter
Raphael
Raphael was an Italian High Renaissance painter celebrated for balanced Madonnas, clear figure groupings, and the Vatican's School of Athens fresco.
Raphael quick facts
Raphael united graceful figures, balanced composition, and clear perspective in both oil-painted altarpieces and fresco decorations in Rome.
| Born | 1483 · Urbino, Duchy of Urbino (now Italy) |
|---|---|
| Died | 1520 · Rome, Papal States (now Italy) |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Movements | High Renaissance |
| Paint types | Oil Paint |
| Painting surfaces | Wood · Plaster |
| Painting methods | Careful underdrawing, layered oil modeling on prepared panels, balanced grouping, mathematical perspective, and fresco painting on damp plaster |
| Common subjects | The Virgin Mary and Christ Child, saints, philosophers, classical antiquity, theological subjects, and portraits |
| Notable works | The School of Athens · Madonna of the Goldfinch · The Alba Madonna · Sistine Madonna |
| Transferred support | The Alba Madonna is now on canvas after transfer, but it was originally painted in oil on a wooden panel. |
Sources: Uffizi Galleries: Madonna of the Goldfinch, oil on wood, National Gallery of Art: The Alba Madonna, transferred panel, Vatican Museums: Room of the Segnatura.
Paint types used
The Uffizi catalogs Madonna of the Goldfinch as oil on wood. His Vatican room frescoes used pigments bound into damp plaster, a different technique.
Surface types used
Raphael used prepared wood panels for oil paintings and plaster walls for the Vatican frescoes; some historic panels were later transferred.
Wood
Wood is a natural, porous material with grain patterns and absorbency that vary by species and cut. Its surface may also contain knots, resin, or an existing finish.
Plaster
Plaster is a porous mineral wall and ceiling finish that may be based on gypsum, lime, or other binders. Fresh plaster contains significant moisture and can be highly absorbent until fully dry and appropriately sealed.
Painters similar to Raphael
Leonardo and Michelangelo were his celebrated High Renaissance contemporaries and influential painters in Florence and Rome.
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian High Renaissance painter whose portraits, subtle shadows, and carefully studied figures transformed European painting.
Michelangelo
Michelangelo was an Italian High Renaissance artist renowned for sculptural human figures, the Sistine Chapel frescoes, and the Doni Tondo.