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Article: Raphael at the National Gallery.(Critical Essay)
- Article from:
- Contemporary Review
- Article date:
- December 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Contemporary Review Company Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE National Gallery is celebrating its costly purchase of a dubious Raphael by holding an exhibition, under the title of Raphael: from Urbino to Rome, mostly of his undisputed pictures. It is indeed, as the gallery and some press commentators claim, a major exhibition, but far from monumental. There are forty-seven drawings and thirty-three paintings (six from the gallery's permanent collection) by or at least attributed to Raphael. In addition there are seventeen pictures by masters with some connection to Raphael, as well as, curiously, a cast of Michelangelo's marble tondo at the Royal Academy.
One of Vasari's engaging qualities was to extol nearly everyone ...