Raphael Sanzio 1892

Aubrey Beardsley made this ink drawing of Raphael Sanzio in the late 19th century. Beardsley was associated with the Aesthetic movement in Britain, whose artists were interested in ‘art for art’s sake’ and who explored themes of decadence and sexuality in their work. Beardsley was interested in how artists become cultural icons, and in this image he presents Raphael Sanzio as a delicate and ethereal figure with a faraway look in his eyes. Raphael is shown as a personification of the Italian Renaissance, a symbol of classical ideals. In the late 19th century there was a growing interest in historical and cultural studies. Beardsley seems to be commenting on the status of the ‘old masters’ and asking the viewer to consider the relationship between art, history, and celebrity. To understand this work better, we need to know more about the publishing history of illustrations, as well as Beardsley’s relationship to the art establishment of his time. We might ask, what did it mean to present the artist as a mythic figure at the end of the 19th century?