Giulio Romano

Born Giulio Pippi around 1499, he trained under Raphael and absorbed the master's clarity before pushing past it. After Raphael's death, Giulio's work grew more inventive, twisting proportion and space in ways that marked a departure from classical balance. His drawings became prized across Europe, amplified by Marcantonio Raimondi's engravings, which carried Italian style far beyond Rome. He worked as both painter and architect, his designs eccentric and assured. He died on 1 November 1546, leaving a body of work that taught the sixteenth century how to be uneasy with perfection.