- Painting the divine: Heavenly grace and human grandeur Influenced by his contemporaries Michelangelo and Leonardo, Raphael Santi (1483-1520) became, in his own right, one of the most important artists of the High Renaissance. Though Raphael painted many important works in his Florence period, including his famous Madonnas, it was his mature work in Rome that cemented his place in history, most notably theStanza della Segnaturain the Vatican featuring hisSchool of AthensandTriumph of Religionmurals. This overview traces the life"s work of this Renaissance master who achieved the height of greatness in only two decades of creation and whose influential work paved the way for the Mannerist and Baroque movements.