4. (Michelangelo Leonardo Raphael) 1504

Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael:
Florence c. 1504 

at the Royal Academy, London 

9 November 2024 - 16 February 2025 

In 1504 Michelangelo finished his marble David and Leonardo took part in the discussions to decide where it should go. Later that year Raphael arrived in Florence, where his work was transformed by the work of the two feuding masters. Over four weeks we will see how this explosive combination of events and personalities is reflected in the Royal Academy’s remarkable exhibition. For each artist we will examine the works in the exhibition in depth, putting them in the context of the artist’s career as a whole. 

In the final week we will draw everything we have seen together to consider what the Royal Academy’s exhibition reveals about the lives, the careers, and the interactions between three of history’s most revered artists. To what extent did they really learn from each other? How is their rivalry made manifest? And what was it about the year 1504 that makes it so important that an exhibition has been dedicated to it 520 year later? Having learnt about the individual artists, this talk will be a through introduction to the Royal Academy's superb display of their work.