The Raphael Cartoons. Questo articolo non è disponibile.The Raphael Cartoons

Now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Raphael Cartoons are widely considered one of the glories of the Italian Renaissance. 

Made as full-scale design drawings for tapestries, their survival is remarkable given their original purpose and inherent fragility. This beautiful and compelling book presents a new consideration of Raphael's achievement, shedding fresh light on the Cartoons' history from their creation, their acquisition by the English Crown in 1623, to their loan to the South Kensington Museum by Queen Victoria in 1865 in memory of Prince Albert. Illustrated with entirely new digital photography, made to mark the 500th anniversary of the artist's death, the book focuses on Raphael's artistic practice and his legacy. The Cartoons were carefully designed to be reproduced, and they are shown here as never before.

To mark the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death, in 2020 the V&A presents a landmark project to enhance the Raphael Court, home to one of the greatest treasures of the Renaissance, the Raphael Cartoons. These tapestry designs, commissioned in 1515 for the Sistine Chapel, have been rephotographed in incredible detail – shown here for the first time. This beautiful and compelling book sheds fresh light on Raphael’s artistic practice and the organization of his large workshop. It considers the Cartoons’ provenance, from their sudden reappearance in England in 1623, up to their loan to the South Kensington Museum in 1865.