The Raphael Cartoons
The Raphael Cartoons were commissioned from the great Italian Renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520) in 151…
Read articleRoom 48a: The Raphael Cartoons
This room houses the surviving designs painted by Raphael, one of the greatest of all Italian Renaissance artists, …
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The Raphael Cartoons: What is a cartoon?
Cartoons were used in the creation of frescoes, other large-scale wall paintings and, in this case, tapestries. Bef…
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The Raphael Cartoons: history of the cartoons
Leo X commissioned a set of tapestry designs, or cartoons, from Raphael in 1515. The ten cartoons depicted episode…
Read articleThe Raphael Cartoons: the decoration of the Sistine Chapel
Sixtus began the decoration of the chapel in 1481-82, hiring a team of the most prestigious artists of the time, in…
Read articleThe Raphael Cartoons: Raphael & Pope Leo X
The biographies of Raphael (Raffaello Santi or Sanzio) & Pope Leo X
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The Raphael Cartoons: animal imagery in 'The Miraculous Draught of Fishes'
Animal imagery in the Miraculous Draught of Fishes
Read articleThe examination & conservation of the Raphael cartoons
An important aspect of the refurbishment of the Raphael Gallery in the 1990s was the opportunity it provided for cl…
Read articleThe Raphael Cartoons: A Tale of Two Raphaels
In this special film, Dr Mark Evans visits the V&A and Windsor Castle to reveal how Raphael made the cartoons which…
Read articleThe Raphael Cartoons: Waldemar Januszczak on Raphael's tapestries
Raphael's famous tapestries were hung in the Sistine Chapel in July 2010. Waldemar Januszczak explains why he made …
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Raphael
This is the subject hub for Raphael
Cosimo I de' Medici: Renaissance patron
Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–74) was Duke of Florence between 1537 and his death. The de’ Medicis were renowned for their patronage of the arts, and Cosimo I continued this tradition, supporting artists such as the painter, architect and biographer, Giorgio Vasari. You can listen to a description of a tapestry designed by Vasari for Cosimo I and listen to a madrigal composed by Francesco Corteccia and dedicated by him to Cosimo.
Treatment of two Coptic tapestry fragments
The fragments had raw, fraying edges and many holes causing general weakness. In some areas the borders were detaching.
Conservation of Houghton Hall textiles and furniture
Houghton Hall, Norfolk, was built and furnished in 1722-1735 for Sir Robert Walpole, the first British Prime Minister, by the innovative and leading designer William Kent.
Raphael links
Links about Raphael
A gift in your will
You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.
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Raphael Postcard Book
Pack of 14 postcards featuring highlights from the V&A's display 'Raphael: Cartoons and Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel'.
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