La sublime gara. La Trasfigurazione di Raffaello tra invenzione e divulgazione

In this contribution, Raphael's Transfiguration is placed at the center of a path that considers the before and after of the painting, that is, the preparatory phase, prior to its pictorial realization, and the consensus it aroused once it was completed, thus its fortune, assessed especially through copies and prints. Regarding the first part, and against the background of the "competition" between Raphael and Sebastiano del Piombo, some drawings will be presented that document the complicated design process of the work, tracing some critical positions and possible reasons for the most significant and substantial changes. In the second part, the outcomes of some important copies and a selection of particularly successful prints will be presented, in order to reflect on the role of translation engraving as a means of disseminating knowledge of Raphael.