Fra Bartolomeo's Influence on Raphael

Fra Bartolomeo was born March 28, 1472 in Savignano di Prato, Tuscany. He was sent to apprentice in the workshop of Cosimo Rosselli in 1483 or 1484, then around 1490 he began a collaboration with Mariotto Albertinelli. However, in the late 1490s, Bartolomeo was drawn to the teachings of Fra Girolamo Savonarola, who opposed the direction contemporary art was going and instead wanted to focus solely on illustration of the Bible as an aid to those who could not read it. When Bartolomeo became a Dominican friar in July, 1500 he stopped painting for several years until he became the head of the monastery workshop in 1504. In 1507, Raphael met Bartolomeo on one of his trips to Florence. They quickly became friends and learned from each other, as well as contributing to new styles in High Renaissance art. Raphael learned from him better skills in coloring and handling of drapery, while Bartolomeo learned perspective. The two stayed friendly with each other, and when Bartolomeo left Rome in 1508, he left Raphael with two unfinished paintings for Raphael to finish for him. Over the next decade, Bartolomeo painted several more pieces, most of which stuck to the Biblical theme, until his death in Florence in 1517.