The Masters: Raphael

Five hundred years after Raphael mysteriously died (April 6, 1520), this seminar reflects on his contributions to the arts. Raphael's art is often defined as a negation of death. He painted eternal myths, unearthly saints, and timeless beauties. His sketches served as exemplars and the very paragon of drawing for hundreds of years. So much so that art historians have done little more than admire his art. How come Raphael has resisted criticism for half a millennium? What does his unremitting fame tell us about the state of art history? While studying eight of Raphael's masterpieces in depth, this course also reflects on the shortcomings and potentials of art history as a critical discipline. [Undergraduate enrollment with consent of one of the instructors].