Self portrait, Rafael Santi, 1506 
- Posted by Rafael Santi
- Museum: Uffizi Gallery
- Year: 1506
Overview of the painting :
Self portrait – Rafael Santi. 1506. Wood, tempera. 47.5×33
A young man with an inspired face, the face of a young genius – such is Rafael (1483-1520), looking at us from a self-portrait. From his appearance comes calm and heavenly harmony, which distinguishes the whole painting of the artist. The color of this picture is emphasized restrained – a neutral background, dark hair, the same hat. Between dark robes and warm skin, a narrow white strip of the shirt is visible – in this subtle transition from deaf black to living tones of the face and neck – all Raphael, who felt the deep laws of painting.
The artist placed the self-portrait, very similar to this one, only in a mirror spread, on the fresco “Athenian School” (1508-1511) in the Vatican “Dance della Senyatura”: on the right, in the image of the ancient Greek painter Apellez, the same beautiful Rafael is visible.