Raphael Soriano
'a superbly produced book, sumptuously illustrated and written in clear prose without any of the overtly academic language, so often now found in books on art and its history, that can be so off-putting to the non-specialist. ... presents in a fresh and eminently readable style a comprehensive reworking of his life, career, the social milieu within which he moved, and the political and dynastic motivations for many of his illustrious patrons. ... The chapter on the Vatican Stanze is outstanding, giving lucid and detailed descriptions of some of the greatest paintings in Western Europe. ... it is the illustrations that make this an outstanding book. They are truly magnificent. ... The illustrations of the many 'mother and child' works allows for an extended discussion on how Raphael developed this massively important aspect of Renaissance painting. Many have described these works as formulaic, but the analysis there gives lucid clarity to them, allowing for a fresh reinterpretation of some of his greatest masterpieces. The chapter on Raphael's drawings and workshop techniques is amongst the best in an outstanding book. ... I strongly recommend [Raphael] to anyone interested in the Italian Renaissance - for those with a keen interest, this book is surely a must.' Bob Baggs