Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483 – 1520), better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. The V&A holds within its collections the Raphael Cartoons. The Cartoons, commissioned in 1515 by Pope Leo X, are full-scale designs for tapestries that were made to cover the lower walls of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
Raphael biography
Raphael (Raffaello Santi or Sanzio) was born in Urbino in 1483, the son of a painter attached to the court of the Montefeltro dukes.
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Raphael Cartoons reading list
A reading list of books about Raphael, the cartoons and tapestry
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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
This wallet includes 14 postcard highlights from the V&A's display 'Raphael: Cartoons and Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel'. Including four tapes…
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