Johannes Riepenhausen

Many tourists and artists visited Italy to admire its High Renaissance masterpieces, and the Riepenhausen brothers were among a group of young German artists who particularly venerated Raphael as their professional and spiritual leader. These artists self-consciously followed in the Old Master’s footsteps by making a pilgrimage on foot to the village of Urbino, Raphael’s hometown, dressing in Renaissance-style quasi-monastic brown robes, and growing their hair long in imitation of Raphael’s well-known physical appearance. The Riepenhausens also created and published this series of illustrations of Raphael’s life that follow him from infancy and early training to his chief accomplishments under papal patronage. The climax of the series is Raphael’s Dream, illustrating a popular legend in which the Virgin Mary appeared to the pious artist in his sleep so that he could more accurately and fully capture her beauty in paint.