U.S. #4570
2011 44¢ Madonna of the Candelabra

Traditional Christmas

Issue Date: October 13, 2011
City: New York, NY

Quantity: 600,000,000
Printed By: Banknote Corporation of America for Sennett Security Products
Printing Method: Offset

Color: Multicolored

The graceful style and mastery of subtle lighting see...  more

U.S. #4570
2011 44¢ Madonna of the Candelabra

Traditional Christmas

Issue Date: October 13, 2011
City: New York, NY

Quantity: 600,000,000
Printed By: Banknote Corporation of America for Sennett Security Products
Printing Method: Offset

Color: Multicolored

The graceful style and mastery of subtle lighting seen in Madonna and Candelabra are hallmarks of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483-1520). Along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael is considered one of the three great masters of the High Renaissance period.

Like Raphael’s masterpiece Madonna of Foligno, Madonna and Candelabra reflects both the religious theme common to the era and his life experiences. Born in Urbino, part of the Papal States, Raphael was the son of a duke’s court painter. He was orphaned early and raised by his uncle Bartolomeo, a priest. The close relationship between the courts and the church was a constant in Raphael’s life, influencing his choice of art subjects as he moved within the highest circles of aristocracy and the Catholic Church.

In demand at an early age, Raphael was commissioned throughout northern Italy before returning to Rome in 1508. He established a workshop with some 50 pupils and assistants, many of whom contributed to Raphael’s work. Experts believe the angel to the left of baby Jesus in Madonna and Candelabra was painted by one of the colleagues. However, the clarity, grace, and harmony of the painting is a signature of Raphael’s artistic genius.

Birth Of Raphael

Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael, is believed to have been born on either March 28 or April 6, 1483, in Urbino, Duchy of Urbino.

Raphael was the son of Giovanni Santi, court painter to the Duke of Urbino.  As a child, Raphael spent a great deal of time in the court, which instilled in him excellent manners and social skills.

Raphael showed a great talent for art from an early age, and he helped out in his father’s workshop.  Both of his parents died by the time he was 11, leaving Raphael to be raised by his stepmother and uncle.  During his formative years, he studied under Pietro Perugino and is considered to be one of his greatest students.  In fact, Perugino’s influence is so obvious in Raphael’s early work, it’s sometimes hard to tell which artist was at work.  Perhaps Raphael’s most famous painting completed during this early period was St. George Fighting the Dragon.

In 1501, Raphael completed his first documented work, the Baronci altarpiece for the church of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino.  During this time, Raphael produced paintings for several other churches and began to paint Madonnas and portraits.  He was also specifically sought out to work on the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral – showing he was already an in-demand artist at a young age.

While Raphael lived and worked throughout northern Italy, he spent a good deal of time in Florence, taking some influence by Florentine art.  Leonardo da Vinci, who was working in Florence around the same time, particularly influenced him.

In 1508, Pope Julius II summoned Raphael to Rome.  A suite of rooms needed to be decorated in the Vatican and Raphael came very highly recommended.  His work there, known as the four Raphael Rooms, would have a huge influence on Roman art.  And his works The School of Athens, The Parnassus and the Disputa are considered some of his greatest masterpieces.  Working on these massive paintings, Raphael established a workshop with some 50 pupils and assistants.  Many of them contributed to his work, though they based their paintings on his very detailed drawings.

In his fresco The School of Athens, Raphael paints an imaginary scene where philosophers and scholars from different eras are together, discussing various theories.  At the center, Aristotle and Plato discuss topics of great importance.  One of the most interesting aspects of this painting is that Raphael uses the faces of his contemporaries in place of many of the men in the scene.  For instance, Plato’s face is actually Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo can be seen sitting in the foreground, resting on a block of marble.  Keen-eyed observers may be able to spot Raphael himself in the right foreground.

Click here for more Raphael stamps.

Click here to view an online gallery of Raphael’s works.