Raphael: the apprentice years. [Vol. 1]

Episode of Series “Phaidon art collection”.
Part one of a two volume series, ‘Raphael: the apprentice years’ provides great background to Raphael’s life, influences, education and professional friendships as a young man up to the age of 25. In this documentary writer and narrator David Thompson (former critic of The Times) reappraises the work of Raphael providing an in-depth look into the development of his career and his relationships with mentors and leading contemporaries like Pierro Della Francesca, Leonardo di Vinci and Michelangelo. His formative years as an artist are covered from his life as a young apprentice in Urbino influenced by the work of Pierro Della Francesca to Peruggia where he was fellow student with Leonardo da Vinci and Florence where he had formed many of his friendships with notable contemporaries as Michelangelo. Shot on location the documentary discusses liberally the influences upon his work with in-depth coverage of his drawings, paintings and sculptural reliefs. What is revealed is Raphael’s passion for nature, light and colour, classicism, the ‘School of Athens’, mathematics and perspective.