ISABELLA ROSSELLINI (NARRATOR): When Raphael was twenty-five years old, he arrived in Rome. Alongside older artists, he began working on fresco decorations for the Pope’s private apartments. But his work on the ceiling of the Stanza della Segnatura so dazzled the Pope that he was directed to take over the entire project.

It was an astonishing coup. So, how did it happen? It wasn’t just Raphael’s technical virtuosity.

CARMEN BAMBACH: This is an artist who really gets stuff done. He is practical. He works with deadlines in mind, makes his patrons happy.

ROSSELLINI: The scale of this project was massive, and required a great deal of preparation.

CAROLINE ELENOWITZ-HESS: We are following his journey by starting here with the drawings. This is where Raphael would conceptualize his ideas.

ROSSELLINI: To the right of this text panel, you see Raphael working out ideas for his iconic School of Athens fresco. Look for the drawing of the philosopher Pythagoras and his disciples.

In the group on the left, we see Pythagoras seated at center. Here’s art historian Catherine Whistler:

CATHERINE WHISTLER: This elderly figure, he wanted to inject with energy and visual interest. So, notice his muscular legs, his flexing foot. Notice his twisting pose with a certain amount of suppressed movement. And then Raphael adds all these figures around him, figures who are responding or themselves writing or reading.

ROSSELLINI: Moving to the center of the sheet, Raphael studies a single figure who will be standing nearby in the final painting. Here, he seems to be sketching from life: this man is probably one of his assistants posing in the studio.

WHISTLER: Then on the right, he restudies the figure in a slightly modified pose. Now he’s becoming a philosopher. He’s holding a book and he’s wearing quite majestic, authoritative folds of drapery.

ROSSELLINI: Up ahead, a large room with digital projections will allow you to experience a version of Raphael’s final Vatican frescos right here at The Met.