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Monday 11 April 2022

Artlyst: Raphael The Human And Divine – National Gallery

My latest review for Artlyst is of Raphael at the National Gallery:

'... by focusing on the range of his work and commitments, this exhibition provides us with a much fuller and deeper picture of the artist and person Raphael was; one who is a Renaissance man alongside Leonardo and Michelangelo and one whose qualities were such that, on his death, he was compared to Christ. Shaped as we all are – however isolated and individual, we might become – by our relationships with others, it was his experience of friendship and humanity that, combined with his natural talent, enabled him to create a vision of all that humanity could become.

While being predominantly a vision of harmony, serenity, and beauty, meaning that the critique of Ruskin cannot simply be dismissed, sufficient of the energy and emotion which is found more readily in the drawings seeps into his paintings to ensure they combine execution and thought; beauty and veracity. In this way, he captures in his art, the human and the divine, love, friendship, learning, and power. This year in Holy Week and Eastertide, given the degree of turmoil, conflict and anxiety to be found within our world, we could do far worse than to immerse ourselves in Raphael’s vision of all we can potentially become, and be inspired.'

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -

Articles -
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Bob Chilcott - Christ, My Beloved.

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