About this episode
The episode explores Raphael's impact on the Renaissance and discusses the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibition dedicated to him.
Raphael is one of those names that everyone knows. He is the prince of painters, a master of the High Renaissance. And the Metropolitan Museum of Art has given him the full blockbuster treatment in a highly anticipated exhibition called "Raphael: Sublime Poetry." The show is the first comprehensive international loan exhibition ever dedicated to him in the United States. There are 237 works in total—33 paintings, 142 drawings—and his Sistine Chapel tapestries. There are loans from the Louvre, the Vatican Museums, the Prado, the Uffizi, and the British Museum. Many of these works, according to the Met, have never been shown together, and some have never previously left Europe. Curated by Carmen C. Bambach, it took 17 years to assemble. No one quite captured divine beauty like Raphael did. But what is the story within the story of this artist who left indelible mark on western art? Kate Brown is joined by art critic and podcast co-host Ben Davis, who has just published a review of the exhibition, to dive into that question. Register for the Intelligence Report live discussion: The Intelligence Report, Year Ahead 2026 Edition
People in this episode
Host: Kate Brown
Guest: Ben Davis
Topics covered
- Raphael
- High Renaissance
- art exhibition
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- art criticism
- western art
Keywords
- Raphael
- Renaissance
- art exhibition
- Metropolitan Museum
- Carmen C. Bambach
- Ben Davis
- art criticism
- Sistine Chapel tapestries
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Louvre, Vatican Museums, Prado, Uffizi, British Museum
Books & works: Raphael: Sublime Poetry
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