The Rafael exhibition, Grace of the Renaissance, will be held at the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno from March 2, 2013. It exhibits the many works of Rafael, an artist of the Renaissance, created throughout his life.
It is the first large scale exhibition dedicated to Rafael that has been held outside of Europe; a very rare opportunity for appreciating so many works of the man who marked the beginning of the Renaissance art.

■Who is Rafael?

Raffaello Sanzio　copyright　Musei Vaticani

Rafael was an Italian artist whose career flourished during the 15th and 16th century. Also known as the great master of the Renaissance, he produced many works that had great influence on succeeding generations. Originally based in Florence, he moved to Rome where he painted religious paintings and portraits for the Pope and nobles. Also in his lifetime work, he painted the mural of the Vatican Palace and was involved in the construction of the Saint Peter’s Basilica.
The picture is his self-portrait.

■Rafael’s Works
One of the representing artists of the Renaissance, Rafael has been a great influence on the arts for generations and still is a powerful example.

Madonna del Granduca　copyright　Antonio Quattrone

Madonna del Granduca, one of the representing works of Rafael, is displayed in Japan for the first time. Expressing both love and beauty, the black background of the painting has later been revealed through technology that it has been painted over scenery. The dark color brings out the beauty of the Madonna.

After shifting his base to Rome, Rafael earned his position as one of the artists representing the Renaissance. It is then that he painted Ezekiel’s Vision.
The painting portrays the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of god revealing himself.
The colors give it a mystical feel to the scene.

Vision of Ezechiel copyright　Antonio Quattrone

In this exhibition at the National Museum of Western Art, there are 23 paintings by Rafael. Additionally, there are also paintings by artists that influenced Rafael including those by his father and his master, allowing visitors to look at Rafael’s works from different angles.

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2013 ~ Sunday, June 2, 2013
Site: National Museum of Western Art
Holiday: Mondays (except for April 29 & May 6) Closed on May 7
Hours: 9:30am ~ 5:30pm
Fridays – open until 8pm
Admission until 30 minutes before closing
Fees: Adults – 1500yen, College Students – 1200yen, High School Students – 800 yen, Middle School and Under – Free

Official Web Site: https:// raffaello2013.com