Re-Air: How Raphael Made—and Unmade—the Renaissance

Re-Air: How Raphael Made—and Unmade—the Renaissance

From The Art Angle by Artnet News

June 4, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

This episode features an interview about the Raphael exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and explores the artist's impact on western art.

This week we're re-airing a favorite episode featuring Kate Brown interviewing Ben Davis about the “Raphael: Sublime Poetry” blockbuster at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 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? This week, we find out.

People in this episode

Host: Kate Brown

Guest: Ben Davis

Topics covered

  • Raphael
  • Renaissance
  • art exhibition
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • western art
  • art history

Keywords

  • Raphael
  • Renaissance
  • art exhibition
  • Metropolitan Museum
  • Carmen C. Bambach
  • Sistine Chapel
  • art history
  • western art

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Louvre, Vatican Museums, Prado, Uffizi, British Museum

Books & works: Raphael: Sublime Poetry, Sistine Chapel tapestries

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