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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1504-1506

Self-Portrait

Raphael · c. 1504-1506

A small oil painting by Raphael showing himself in his early twenties, painted during his Florentine years.

This is Raphael's own self-portrait, made during his formative years in Florence in his early twenties.

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Oil painting of a young man with shoulder-length brown hair and a black beret, turned three-quarters toward the viewer against a warm brown background. He wears a dark garment with a white collar edge.
Raphael, Self-Portrait, c. 1504-1506. Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

About this source

What it is

This is a small oil painting on poplar wood, painted by Raphael around 1504–1506 while he worked in Florence. It shows his head and shoulders against a plain brown background, wearing a dark robe and a painter's cap. It is now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Why it matters

Very few portraits by Raphael survive from before 1508, making this an important record of how the young artist saw himself early in his career. It shows the influence of Leonardo da Vinci's techniques on Raphael's work, and he later reused his own likeness in other paintings, such as The School of Athens. The painting may be unfinished, offering a rare glimpse into how Raphael built up a portrait.

Look closer

  • What does the calm, simple expression suggest about how Raphael wanted to present himself?
  • What parts of the painting look unfinished, and what might that tell us about his working methods?
  • Why might an artist choose to paint himself in his own work clothes?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Raphael on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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