New York City to Present First Extensive U.S. Exhibition on Renaissance Great Raphael

“‘The Virgin and Child with Infant Saint John the Baptist in a Landscape (The Alba Madonna),’” ca. 1509-11. Oil on canvas. (Photo: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)

Despite a life that was relatively short, Italian Renaissance artist Raphael bequeathed one of the world’s most essential legacies when he passed away in 1520 at the age of just 37. This Old Master, alongside icons like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, transformed Renaissance art by exploring narrative, emotion, perspective, and composition at an unmatched level. Nevertheless, Raphael has yet to be the main focus of a complete exhibition in the United States—until now.

Following seven years of extensive research, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will present Raphael: Sublime Poetry, commencing on March 29. This retrospective will feature over 200 works, many of which seldom—if ever—leave the private and public collections in which they reside. For this reason, Sublime Poetry is undoubtedly termed a “once-in-a-lifetime event,” according to the Met’s director and CEO Max Hollein.

“Guests will possess an incredibly rare opportunity to witness the stunning breadth of Raphael’s creative brilliance through some of the artist’s most renowned and rarely loaned pieces from across the globe—many never before exhibited together,” Hollein remarks.

The exhibition encompasses various forms including drawings, paintings, tapestries, and fresco fragments, showcasing the remarkable range of Raphael’s artistry. Collectively, these works elegantly map the artist’s beginnings in Urbino as the offspring of a poet and painter, his advancement in Florence, and ultimately his flourishing decade at the papal court in Rome. The selection also features some of Raphael’s most celebrated works, including The Virgin and Child with Infant Saint John the Baptist in a Landscape (The Alba Madonna). This painting, which he initiated in 1509 and finalized in 1511, reveals the artist’s growing confidence and mastery over structure, dimensionality, narrative, and texture. Importantly, The Virgin and Child will be exhibited alongside his preliminary sketches, providing a closer look into his creative process.

Beyond renowned pieces, Sublime Poetry aims to illuminate a new dimension of Raphael. Carol Bambach, the exhibition’s curator, shares with Elle Decor that the Met seeks to delve “deeper into the philosophy of the artist,” framing Raphael not merely as a Renaissance luminary, but as an individual whose connections and business ventures significantly influenced his art. “My goal,” Bambach elaborates, “is to offer a glimpse over the artist’s shoulder, to enter his mind as he creates.”

To foster this sense of intimacy, Bambach included three works by Raphael’s father, Giovanni Santi; an incomplete manuscript of a poem that Raphael was penning for the late Duke of Urbino; and even an expense ledger that details burial costs for his sister and mother, who passed away during childbirth when Raphael was just 8 years old. The exhibition also emphasizes the artist’s depiction of women, particularly focusing on his gentle representations of the Madonna and Child. Such works highlight a lasting fascination with the theme, possibly arising from the early loss of his mother.

“The seven-year endeavor of assembling this exhibition has been an incredible opportunity to reshape my perception of this monumental artist,” Bambach concludes. “It’s an exciting chance to connect with [Raphael’s] distinctive artistic identity through the visual strength, intellectual richness, and compassion of his imagery.”

Raphael: Sublime Poetry will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from March 29 to June 28, 2026.