The son of a painter, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) was apprenticed as a youth in the workshop of Perugino. While working as an apprentice, it became apparent that Raphael was an artist of true talent. Traveling to Florence around 1504, Raphael studied the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo de' Vinci. With the apparent influence of these great masters, Raphael created several large works and developed a reputation that eventually calls him to Rome. From 1508 until his death, Raphael was kept busy creating portraits and religious paintings for the Church and the social elite. While still working on his painting "The Transfiguration," Raphael died on April 6th 1520.
