Giltwood Paintings

This is a lovely pair of 19th century hand painted panels in giltwood frames. They are beautifully done with cascading blue and white elements surrounding neo-classical revival urns....

Robert Schwedler (German, 1816-1887) A Biedermeier portrait of a brother and sister, signed and dated 1845 canvas: 13 by 15 ½ inches frame: 17 by 20 inches

This petite oil on board depicts a moody scene of sailboats and ships under dynamic cloud cover. Surrounded by a complementary gold gilt frame and fixed with a wire, this interesting...

This is a beautiful oil on canvas painting after Raphael, depicting the Madonna and Child in the original giltwood Florentine frame, Circa 1880 in date. It bears a label to the reve...

A pair of French Napoleon III period painted decorative panels with floral motifs from the mid-19th century, set inside giltwood frames. Each of this pair of decorative panels featur...

Measuring 24 inches in height and 32 inches in width unframed, this large oil on canvas painting from the early 20th century depicts a pastoral scene at the riverside. In the lower l...

A red-yellow, antique French still life oil on canvas painting depicting a working table with a dark-blue vase with flowers, painted by Eugène Henri Cauchois in a hand carved, origin...

This is a vintage Venetian canal painting. A Continental school, oil on canvas study of Venice, dating to the late 20th century, circa 1980. Appealing canal scene in oils, with grea...

This early 20th-century oil on board by American artist Louis Nadler offers a vivid portrait of a chestnut horse standing alert in its stall. Characterized by its anatomical precisio...

Alex de Andreis (British, 1880–1929)—Portrait of a Musketeer, Signed Oil on Canvas A richly painted and theatrical oil on canvas by British artist Alex de Andreis (1880–1929), celeb...

Gérard Calvet French (b. 1926)  Expressionist Gruissan Mountainous Landscape French painter and sculptor (1926–2017) An exquisite oil on canvas by renowned French painter and sculpt...

Matteo Lovatti (Italian, 1861-1909) A Fine 19th-Century Oil on Canvas Titled 'Church V. State - The Fencing Lesson'. The finely detailed artwork depicting an interior tavern scene, f...

Tomas Aceves (Spanish, 19th century), circa 1870. Oil On Board in Giltwood Frame. "Alcazar of Seville Interior". This masterfully executed architectural interior painting, signed b...

Decorate an office, study, or country lodge with this elegant antique oil on canvas painting. Created in England circa 1880 and set in its original carved giltwood frame, the artwork...

"Cattle at the Water's Edge" Oil on Canvas with Board Backing William Hart (American, 1823–1894) 20.25" w x 18.25" h (Frame), 10.5" w x 8.375" h (canvas) This exquisite oil painti...

A light-blue, red still life oil on canvas painting, portraying a sunny day in a dining room with colorful flowers in vases, decorated by detailed wallpaper, painted by Vladimir Naïditch in a hand carved original gilded wooden frame, in good condition. The room depicts a console, small side table and a black French armchair...

Italy, 18th century. This magnificent 18th-century Italian planter is a captivating example of Rococo Baroque craftsmanship, featuring an elegant French blue painted background that...

19th Century English Equestrian Scene Oil on Canvas Painting by Elizabeth Shelly. Painting features riders in formal riding attire with three riders and a dog in a wooded area. The f...

17th Century Flemish Old Master Painting Circle of Frans Francken Rare 17th century Flemish School painting, circle of Frans Francken the Younger (1581-1642). This Cabinet picture, ...

A small French oil on panel kitten painting from the early 20th century, signed by Jules Le Roy. This charming small French oil on panel kitten painting f...

A French Napoléon III period oil on canvas painting from the mid 19th century, with bird and roses in giltwood frame. Created in France at the beginning of emperor Napoléon III's rei...

This late 18th century stunning Rococo portrait portrays an aristocratic lady with grey hair, decorated with flowers and a blue ribbon, reflecting the era’s love for elegant fashion....

A wonderful oil on canvas portrait of a brindle-coat racing greyhound signed and dated lower left "J. Thompson 1838" and again to the reverse ["The Sultan" Winner of the "All England...

This is a beautiful, elegant and striking still life oil painting of a Lobster with fruit on an overflowing laid table with silverware, basket or fruit, foliage an upturned crab and ...

19th century oil on canvas painting of the Madonna and Child, shown seated with an open book in a moment of quiet intimacy. The work is presented in a wide giltwood frame with beaded...

A peaceful French painting on canvas depicting landscape scene featuring a house or small castle in ruins, a water with a bridge nearby. The painting is contained in a simple gold le...

This stunning oil painting by Lucien Carbonell captures the essence of a lively Parisian street scene, filled with charm and vibrancy. The artwork depicts an idyllic autumn day, show...

Featured in the book A Savannah Experience, by Myrtle Jones, this large pastel painting is one of the artist's finest paintings. Acrylic on canv...

A fine original seascape painting in its original hand carved gilt wood frame. This large work of art is painted on canvas and has recently been cleaned to display its delightful det...

Antique Oil on Canvas Portrait of A Nobleman in Original Giltwood Frame 18thC Measures - 33.75"H x 29.25"W x 3"D

English 18 century oil on canvas of horse and jockey painting in carved giltwood frame. This 18 th c English oil on canvas beautifully depict...

Impressionist Oil Painting with Figures in Parisian Village In this piece, the artist depicts his subject in an abstract and impressionist manner, capturing cafes and a busy street ...

Oil on canvas depicting a colorful floral bouquet with tulips, roses and other garden flowers in Dutch style. Some with dew drops and tiny insects. Presented in a custom paint decora...

Untitled, Large Abstract by Mandy Wilkinson, British B. 1970 Mandy Wilkinson, British 1970 Oil on canvas, 49 inches wide by 36 inches high Giltwood Fra...

Fine quality early 20th century oil on board of a Herd of sheep in a landscape pasture. Signed and dated 1916 by D.H. Winder. Daniel H Winder (1870 - c.1920) was active/lived in Uni...

This is a truly splendid antique oil on canvas painting featuring a period interior scene by Francesco Bergamini (1851-1900) Italian, signed and dated 1894. This beautiful oil pai...

A stunning circa 1805 English equestrian oil on canvas painting firmly attributed to prominent late-Georgian period artist Benjamin Marshall portrayi...

A late 19th Century French School still life in the style of Fantin-Latour. A well-executed Impressionist style oil on canvas depicting detailed objects of an opulent household: a ceramic basket weave bowl of apples, a lady's fan propping open a small book, next to a gold lournette on a pink beaded chain. In the background is a tall pewter candlestick...

A fine Italian 19th century oil painting on canvas "La Madonna della Seggiola" after Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino 1483-1520). The circular painted canvas depicting a seated Ma...

A self portrait of Maurice Molarsky (1885-1950) painted in 1925 This very large portrait measures 54 inches high, 52 inches wide, with a period Harer black and giltwood frame. Maur...

A Large Continental Oil on Canvas "The Prohibited Reading " after Karel Ooms (Belgium, 1845-1900). This beautiful executed painting depicts a historical scene of an old man and a young woman who are huddled over a bible. The pair is gazing in apparent concern or alarm, over the old man's shoulder, towards something outside of the picture. The scene is likely set in the 16th or 17th century when Protestants were prosecuted, amongst others, for reading the bible in the vernacular, a practice prohibited by the Catholic Church at the time. Signed (l/r) A. Ribas 15-12-913. Within a giltwood carved frame. circa: Probably Belgium, 1913. Karel Ooms was born in Dessel on January 27, 1845 as the youngest son of a large peasant family. At school his extraordinary talent for drawing was discovered. When he was twelve his hometown provided financial support which allowed him to study at the Antwerp Academy of fine Arts. One of his teachers at the Academy was Nicaise de Keyser, one of the key figures in the Belgian Romantic-historical school of painting and a painter of mainly history paintings and portraits. After graduating from the Academy 1865 Karel Ooms was welcomed with pomp in his home town Dessel. He painted two altarpieces for the local church Saint Nicolas, to express his gratitude to his city. Karel Ooms settled as an independent artist in Antwerp around 1871. He quickly established a reputation as a portrait painter. In addition, he received commissions for religious paintings and history paintings. He gained particular recognition with two large paintings...

Painting of a casual, abstract female body in oil on newspaper by Antonio Guanse, Paris 1963 The woman's body lolls casually under the artist's brushstrokes. The abstract depiction ...

Antique Vanitas Oil Painting, Antique Memento Mori Oil Painting, Antique Skull Oil Painting, Gothic Antique Painting, 19th Century Vanitas Still Life Oil Painting. Early 19th Century French Vanitas Oil Painting on Canvas. The Old Master Vanitas Still Life Painting depicts a skull, book and rosary. Oil on canvas, lined. Unsigned. In gold gilt period frame. Very well painted, attractive & highly decorative Vanitas skull...

A Fine Italian 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas "La Madonna della Seggiola" after Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino 1483-1520). The circular painted canvas depicting a seated Madonna holding an infant Jesus Christ next to a child Saint John the Baptist, all within a massive carved gilt wood and gesso frame, which is identical to the frame on Raphael's original artwork. This painting is a 19th Century copy of Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola painted in 1514 and currently exhibited and part of the permanent collection at the Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina, Florence, Italy. The bodies of the Virgin, Christ, and the boy Baptist fill the whole picture. The tender, natural looking embrace of the Mother and Child, and the harmonious grouping of the figures in the round, have made this one of Raphael's most popular Madonnas. The isolated chair leg is reminiscent of papal furniture, which has led to the assumption that Leo X himself commissioned the painting. A retailer's label reads " Fred K/ Keer's Sons - Framers and Fine Art Dealers - 917 Broad St. Newark, N.J." - Another label from the gilder reads "Carlo Bartolini - Doratore e Verniciatori - Via Maggio 1924 - Firenze". Circa: 1890-1900. Subject: Religious painting Canvas diameter: 28 inches (71.1 cm) Frame height: 54 inches (137.2 cm) Frame width: 42 1/2 inches (108 cm) Frame depth: 5 1/2 inches (14 cm) Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Italian, March 28 or April 6, 1483 - April 6, 1520), known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. Raphael was enormously productive, running an unusually large workshop and, despite his death at 37, leaving a large body of work. Many of his works are found in the Vatican Palace, where the frescoed Raphael Rooms were the central, and the largest, work of his career. The best known work is The School of Athens in the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura. After his early years in Rome much of his work was executed by his workshop from his drawings, with considerable loss of quality. He was extremely influential in his lifetime, though outside Rome his work was mostly known from his collaborative printmaking. After his death, the influence of his great rival Michelangelo was more widespread until the 18th and 19th centuries, when Raphael's more serene and harmonious qualities were again regarded as the highest models. His career falls naturally into three phases and three styles, first described by Giorgio Vasari: his early years in Umbria, then a period of about four years (1504–1508) absorbing the artistic traditions of Florence, followed by his last hectic and triumphant twelve years in Rome, working for two Popes and their close associates. Raphael was born in the small but artistically significant central Italian city of Urbino in the Marche region, where his father Giovanni Santi was court painter to the Duke. The reputation of the court had been established by Federico III da Montefeltro, a highly successful condottiere who had been created Duke of Urbino by the Pope - Urbino formed part of the Papal States - and who died the year before Raphael was born. The emphasis of Federico's court was rather more literary than artistic, but Giovanni Santi was a poet of sorts as well as a painter, and had written a rhymed chronicle of the life of Federico, and both wrote the texts and produced the decor for masque-like court entertainments. His poem to Federico shows him as keen to show awareness of the most advanced North Italian painters, and Early Netherlandish artists as well. In the very small court of Urbino he was probably more integrated into the central circle of the ruling family than most court painters. Federico was succeeded by his son Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, who married Elisabetta Gonzaga, daughter of the ruler of Mantua, the most brilliant of the smaller Italian courts for both music and the visual arts. Under them, the court continued as a centre for literary culture. Growing up in the circle of this small court gave Raphael the excellent manners and social skills stressed by Vasari. Court life in Urbino at just after this period was to become set as the model of the virtues of the Italian humanist court through Baldassare Castiglione's depiction of it in his classic work The Book of the Courtier, published in 1528. Castiglione moved to Urbino in 1504, when Raphael was no longer based there but frequently visited, and they became good friends. He became close to other regular visitors to the court: Pietro Bibbiena and Pietro Bembo, both later cardinals, were already becoming well known as writers, and would be in Rome during Raphael's period there. Raphael mixed easily in the highest circles throughout his life, one of the factors that tended to give a misleading impression of effortlessness to his career. He did not receive a full humanistic education however; it is unclear how easily he read Latin. Early Life and Works His mother Màgia died in 1491 when Raphael was eight, followed on August 1, 1494 by his father, who had already remarried. Raphael was thus orphaned at eleven; his formal guardian became his only paternal uncle Bartolomeo, a priest, who subsequently engaged in litigation with his stepmother. He probably continued to live with his stepmother when not staying as an apprentice with a master. He had already shown talent, according to Vasari, who says that Raphael had been "a great help to his father". A self-portrait drawing from his teenage years shows his precocity. His father's workshop continued and, probably together with his stepmother, Raphael evidently played a part in managing it from a very early age. In Urbino, he came into contact with the works of Paolo Uccello, previously the court painter (d. 1475), and Luca Signorelli, who until 1498 was based in nearby Città di Castello. According to Vasari, his father placed him in the workshop of the Umbrian master Pietro Perugino as an apprentice "despite the tears of his mother". The evidence of an apprenticeship comes only from Vasari and another source, and has been disputed—eight was very early for an apprenticeship to begin. An alternative theory is that he received at least some training from Timoteo Viti, who acted as court painter in Urbino from 1495.Most modern historians agree that Raphael at least worked as an assistant to Perugino from around 1500; the influence of Perugino on Raphael's early work is very clear: "probably no other pupil of genius has ever absorbed so much of his master's teaching as Raphael did", according to Wölfflin. Vasari wrote that it was impossible to distinguish between their hands at this period, but many modern art historians claim to do better and detect his hand in specific areas of works by Perugino or his workshop. Apart from stylistic closeness, their techniques are very similar as well, for example having paint applied thickly, using an oil varnish medium, in shadows and darker garments, but very thinly on flesh areas. An excess of resin in the varnish often causes cracking of areas of paint in the works of both masters. The Perugino workshop was active in both Perugia and Florence, perhaps maintaining two permanent branches. Raphael is described as a "master", that is to say fully trained, in December 1500. His first documented work was the Baronci altarpiece for the church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino in Città di Castello, a town halfway between Perugia and Urbino. Evangelista da Pian di Meleto, who had worked for his father, was also named in the commission. It was commissioned in 1500 and finished in 1501; now only some cut sections and a preparatory drawing remain. In the following years he painted works for other churches there, including the Mond Crucifixion (about 1503) and the Brera Wedding of the Virgin (1504), and for Perugia, such as the Oddi Altarpiece. He very probably also visited Florence in this period. These are large works, some in fresco, where Raphael confidently marshals his compositions in the somewhat static style of Perugino. He also painted many small and exquisite cabinet paintings in these years, probably mostly for the connoisseurs in the Urbino court, like the Three Graces and St. Michael, and he began to paint Madonnas and portraits. In 1502 he went to Siena at the invitation of another pupil of Perugino, Pinturicchio, "being a friend of Raphael and knowing him to be a draughtsman of the highest quality" to help with the cartoons, and very likely the designs, for a fresco series in the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. He was evidently already much in demand even at this early stage in his career. Influence of Florence Raphael led a "nomadic" life, working in various centres in Northern Italy, but spent a good deal of time in Florence, perhaps from about 1504. Although there is traditional reference to a "Florentine period...

1950 Albert Eugene Gallatin Signed Abstract Oil Painting on Board Offered for sale is a nice Albert Gallatin (1882 - 1952) oil painting on board signed on verso September 1950. ...

A French framed oil on canvas floral painting from the 19th century, depicting roses. Born in France during the 19th century, this exquisite oil on canvas painting features a delicat...

Impressive well painted 19th century Russian oil on canvas of hunt scene or chase featuring troika pulled by 6 horses in full stride. Man armed w...

ANTIQUE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING Depicting two young girls, probably sisters with rosy cheeks in matching blue dresses holding flowers in an interior setting in front of a regency/Will...

A very fine Italian 17th century oval oil on canvas "Head of Christ Crowned with Thorns" Circle of Pierre Mignard (French, 1612-1695) within...

Attributed to Giorgio Lucchesi (1855-1941) A large and impressive early 20th century oil on canvas "Madonna and Child" after Bartolomé Esteban Murillo...

An exceptional large Mid-19th century American School Victorian Folk Art portrait. The painting features a young, well-dressed mother seated in a tufted balloon-back chair with her ...

A French oil on panel painting by Fernand Maissen from the early 20th century, depicting a sporting dog hunting a duck. Created in the early years of the 20th century by French artist Fernand Maissen, this horizontal oil on panel painting depicts a hunting scene. An English setter, coming from the right side of the composition, is hunting a river mallard rising from the waters. The high grass on the right, from which the dog is emerging, is perfectly contrasted by the horizontal strokes used to depict the water on the left. The artist further accentuates the contrast by juxtaposing warm and cold colors. Born in 1873, Maissen was an animal painter who was a student of Jules Lefebvre...

A very fine and large 19th century Louis XV style Whimsical Neoclassical Revival style Oil on Canvas "The Triumph of Flora" attributed to Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927), school of François Boucher (French, 1703-1770). The impressive artwork depicting a semi-nude Flora hovering through the clouds surrounded by playful cupids, cherubs, love doves and a seated maiden, within white and grey clouds, offering her Spring flower bouquets and floral wreaths, within a banded giltwood frame. Note: Previously used as a ceiling painting. Unsigned, Circa 1870. Measures: Canvas height: 91 3/4 inches (233 cm) Canvas width: 59 inches (150 cm) Frame height: 61 3/8 inches (155.9 cm) Frame width: 93 1/2 inches (237.5 cm) Depth: 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) Ferdinand Wagner II (German, 1847-1927) was the son of Passau Ferdinand Wagner Senior, a teacher at a vocational art school who began training him professionally at a young age. After traveling to Italy in 1867-1868, he continued with his art studies at The Munich Academy of Arts led by Peter Von Cornelius and Julius Schnorr Von Carolsfeld...

Please note this the painting is dark as original photograph displays. This exceptional late 18th-century Neoclassical hand-painted panel, crafted on canvas and mounted to a board,...

Otto Pilny (Swiss, 1866-1936) A very fine orientalist oil on canvas "The Slave Market", depicting a desert scene with the offering of two female slaves. Signed and Dated (l/r): Otto Pilny, 1910. Canvas height: 31 1/2 inches (80 cm). Canvas width: 47 1/4 inches (120 cm). Frame height: 37 inches (94 cm). Frame width: 52 inches (132.1 cm). Previously offered at Christie's New York, 19th Century European Art, Sale 2521 on October 12, 2011, Lot 84. Latest Otto Pilny Sale: Christie's London - The Orientalist Sale including Works from the Najd Collection on 30 March 2021 - Lot 49 "Dance in the Desert" was sold for £100,800 ($138,500) There is not that much information about Otto Pilny who began his artistic education in Prague. Pilny also lived in Vienna and ended up settling in Zurich. Just like Ludwig Deutsch (1855-1935), Rudolf Ernst (1854-1932), and Carl Leopold Müller (1834-1892), Pilny was encouraged to travel abroad. During his two trips to Egypt, a favorite destination of the Austro-Hungarian school, the first one in 1889 and later en 1892, he acquired the taste of painting Orientalist scenes of Middle Eastern landscapes...

Decorate a wall with this large and colorful oil on canvas painting. Painted in Paris circa 1970 and set in a thick carved gilt frame, the artwork beautifully captures the vibrant at...

An English oil on board horse painting from the 20th century by K.M Nadler, in carved giltwood frame. Immerse yourself in a captivating depiction of equine grace with this mesmerizing 20th-century oil on board horse painting by the artist K.M. Nadler, born in 1928. This elegant artwork, framed in a luxurious carved giltwood frame, beckons the viewer into a tranquil stable setting. Nadler’s exquisite brushwork breathes life into the magnificent horse that stands poised and serene, portrayed in profile. The finesse in capturing the horse’s anatomy and the subtle sheen on its coat reveals a mastery of realism. The depth in the horse’s eye whispers tales of its unwavering spirit. Adding a dramatic element, an ethereal light source from the upper right casts an emphatic shadow on the stable wall, enveloping the scene in an enigmatic aura. The ambiance is further enriched with red terracotta floor tiles...

A Fine Italian 19th Century Oil Painting on Canvas "La Madonna della Seggiola" after Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino 1483-1520). The circular painted canvas depicting a seated Madonna holding an infant Jesus Christ next to a child Saint John the Baptist, all within a massive carved two-tone gilt wood, gilt-patinated and gesso frame, which is identical to the frame on Raphael's original artwork. This painting is a 19th Century copy of Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola painted in 1514 and currently exhibited and part of the permanent collection at the Palazzo Pitti, Galleria Palatina, Florence, Italy. The bodies of the Virgin, Christ, and the boy Baptist fill the whole picture. The tender, natural looking embrace of the Mother and Child, and the harmonious grouping of the figures in the round, have made this one of Raphael's most popular Madonnas. The isolated chair leg is reminiscent of papal furniture, which has led to the assumption that Leo X himself commissioned the painting. Circa: 1890-1900. Subject: Religious painting Painting diameter: 28 inches (71.1 cm) Frame height: 55 1/8 inches (140 cm) Frame width: 46 inches (116.8 cm) Frame depth: 5 1/8 inches (13 cm) Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Italian, March 28 or April 6, 1483 - April 6, 1520), known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. Raphael was enormously productive, running an unusually large workshop and, despite his death at 37, leaving a large body of work. Many of his works are found in the Vatican Palace, where the frescoed Raphael Rooms were the central, and the largest, work of his career. The best known work is The School of Athens in the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura. After his early years in Rome much of his work was executed by his workshop from his drawings, with considerable loss of quality. He was extremely influential in his lifetime, though outside Rome his work was mostly known from his collaborative printmaking. After his death, the influence of his great rival Michelangelo was more widespread until the 18th and 19th centuries, when Raphael's more serene and harmonious qualities were again regarded as the highest models. His career falls naturally into three phases and three styles, first described by Giorgio Vasari: his early years in Umbria, then a period of about four years (1504–1508) absorbing the artistic traditions of Florence, followed by his last hectic and triumphant twelve years in Rome, working for two Popes and their close associates. Raphael was born in the small but artistically significant central Italian city of Urbino in the Marche region, where his father Giovanni Santi was court painter to the Duke. The reputation of the court had been established by Federico III da Montefeltro, a highly successful condottiere who had been created Duke of Urbino by the Pope - Urbino formed part of the Papal States - and who died the year before Raphael was born. The emphasis of Federico's court was rather more literary than artistic, but Giovanni Santi was a poet of sorts as well as a painter, and had written a rhymed chronicle of the life of Federico, and both wrote the texts and produced the decor for masque-like court entertainments. His poem to Federico shows him as keen to show awareness of the most advanced North Italian painters, and Early Netherlandish artists as well. In the very small court of Urbino he was probably more integrated into the central circle of the ruling family than most court painters. Federico was succeeded by his son Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, who married Elisabetta Gonzaga, daughter of the ruler of Mantua, the most brilliant of the smaller Italian courts for both music and the visual arts. Under them, the court continued as a centre for literary culture. Growing up in the circle of this small court gave Raphael the excellent manners and social skills stressed by Vasari. Court life in Urbino at just after this period was to become set as the model of the virtues of the Italian humanist court through Baldassare Castiglione's depiction of it in his classic work The Book of the Courtier, published in 1528. Castiglione moved to Urbino in 1504, when Raphael was no longer based there but frequently visited, and they became good friends. He became close to other regular visitors to the court: Pietro Bibbiena and Pietro Bembo, both later cardinals, were already becoming well known as writers, and would be in Rome during Raphael's period there. Raphael mixed easily in the highest circles throughout his life, one of the factors that tended to give a misleading impression of effortlessness to his career. He did not receive a full humanistic education however; it is unclear how easily he read Latin. Early Life and Works His mother Màgia died in 1491 when Raphael was eight, followed on August 1, 1494 by his father, who had already remarried. Raphael was thus orphaned at eleven; his formal guardian became his only paternal uncle Bartolomeo, a priest, who subsequently engaged in litigation with his stepmother. He probably continued to live with his stepmother when not staying as an apprentice with a master. He had already shown talent, according to Vasari, who says that Raphael had been "a great help to his father". A self-portrait drawing from his teenage years shows his precocity. His father's workshop continued and, probably together with his stepmother, Raphael evidently played a part in managing it from a very early age. In Urbino, he came into contact with the works of Paolo Uccello, previously the court painter (d. 1475), and Luca Signorelli, who until 1498 was based in nearby Città di Castello. According to Vasari, his father placed him in the workshop of the Umbrian master Pietro Perugino as an apprentice "despite the tears of his mother". The evidence of an apprenticeship comes only from Vasari and another source, and has been disputed—eight was very early for an apprenticeship to begin. An alternative theory is that he received at least some training from Timoteo Viti, who acted as court painter in Urbino from 1495.Most modern historians agree that Raphael at least worked as an assistant to Perugino from around 1500; the influence of Perugino on Raphael's early work is very clear: "probably no other pupil of genius has ever absorbed so much of his master's teaching as Raphael did", according to Wölfflin. Vasari wrote that it was impossible to distinguish between their hands at this period, but many modern art historians claim to do better and detect his hand in specific areas of works by Perugino or his workshop. Apart from stylistic closeness, their techniques are very similar as well, for example having paint applied thickly, using an oil varnish medium, in shadows and darker garments, but very thinly on flesh areas. An excess of resin in the varnish often causes cracking of areas of paint in the works of both masters. The Perugino workshop was active in both Perugia and Florence, perhaps maintaining two permanent branches. Raphael is described as a "master", that is to say fully trained, in December 1500. His first documented work was the Baronci altarpiece for the church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino in Città di Castello, a town halfway between Perugia and Urbino. Evangelista da Pian di Meleto, who had worked for his father, was also named in the commission. It was commissioned in 1500 and finished in 1501; now only some cut sections and a preparatory drawing remain. In the following years he painted works for other churches there, including the Mond Crucifixion (about 1503) and the Brera Wedding of the Virgin (1504), and for Perugia, such as the Oddi Altarpiece. He very probably also visited Florence in this period. These are large works, some in fresco, where Raphael confidently marshals his compositions in the somewhat static style of Perugino. He also painted many small and exquisite cabinet paintings in these years, probably mostly for the connoisseurs in the Urbino court, like the Three Graces and St. Michael, and he began to paint Madonnas and portraits. In 1502 he went to Siena at the invitation of another pupil of Perugino, Pinturicchio, "being a friend of Raphael and knowing him to be a draughtsman of the highest quality" to help with the cartoons, and very likely the designs, for a fresco series in the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. He was evidently already much in demand even at this early stage in his career. Influence of Florence Raphael led a "nomadic" life, working in various centres in Northern Italy, but spent a good deal of time in Florence, perhaps from about 1504. Although there is traditional reference to a "Florentine period...

Decorate a wall with this beautiful antique painting. Set in the original carved gilt wood frame, the artwork depicts Saint Francis of Assisi in meditation in a religious ecsatasy. T...

A late 16th century oil on copper painting by Nicolò Cercignani, an Italian Old Masters artist of the late-Renaissance or Mannerist period, depicting the Raphaelesque transfiguration...