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Secondary sourceBook1868

The Great Works of Raphael Sanzio of Urbino

Joseph Cundall · 1868

An 1868 book of thirty photographic reproductions of engravings after Raphael's most famous paintings, with descriptions and Vasari's life of the artist.

A Victorian collection of reproductions and descriptions documenting Raphael's most famous paintings.

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The Great Works of Raphael Sanzio of Urbino
Joseph Cundall (ed.), The Great Works of Raphael Sanzio of Urbino, 1868.

About this source

What it is

This 1868 book, edited by Joseph Cundall, presents thirty photographs made from engravings of Raphael's most celebrated paintings. It includes descriptions translated from a German study by Passavant, along with Giorgio Vasari's classic life of Raphael, translated by Mrs. Jonathan Foster, and a list of the artist's principal paintings.

Why it matters

This book shows how, centuries after Raphael died, his paintings were still being reproduced and studied using the latest technology of the time, photography of engravings. By including Vasari's biography, written not long after Raphael's own lifetime, the book connects a very old source about Raphael to a newer one made for Victorian readers.

Look closer

  • Why might the editor have combined old engravings, new photographs, and Vasari's centuries-old biography in one book?
  • What does the preface's claim that "the world never tires" of Raphael's work suggest about his lasting fame?
  • What could be lost in translating a description of a painting, and then photographing an engraving of it, rather than seeing the original?

This book 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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