The Raphael Cartoons

To mark the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death, in 2020 the V&A presents a landmark project to enhance the Raphael Court, home to one of the greatest treasures of the Renaissance, the Raphael Cartoons. These tapestry designs, commissioned in 1515 for the Sistine Chapel, have been rephotographed in incredible detail - shown here for the first time. This beautiful and compelling book sheds fresh light on Raphael’s artistic practice and the organization of his large workshop. It considers the Cartoons’ provenance, from their sudden reappearance in England in 1623, up to their loan to the South Kensington Museum in 1865.