Raffaello Sorbi Biography | Oil Paintings

Raffaello Sorbi studied design and painting under Antonio Ciseri at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. By seventeen, he had completed his first major work, Corso Donati mortally wounded is transported by Monks of San Salvi to their Abbey, exhibited at the Florentine Triennale of 1861, for which he won an award. He completed many commissions for patrons in America and England. In 1863, Raffaello Sorbi won a contest in Rome with the essay piece Savonarola explains the Bible to some friends in the Convent of San Marco.

He then changed the nature of his oil paintings, making them more relevant to reality, though he continued to prefer medieval, eighteenth-century, or even imperial Rome environments. Raffaello Sorbi's career grew professionally and economically from the encounter with the French gallery owner Eugene Goupil, with whom he signed in 1872 an exclusive agreement of seven years, for a monthly salary of 1000 francs, (about US$6,000 today) producing mainly small canvases. For him, he opened the doors of the international market, which especially appreciated the virtuous ability to draw figures and gender scenes.

Many of his works were acquired by English collectors. Raffaello Sorbi became academician at the Royal Institute of Fine Arts of Florence and resident professor in 1882, and honorary associate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Urbino.

Art Movement: Academic Art.
Artists Influencing Raffaello Sorbi: Antonio Ciseri.
Artist Biography compiled by Albert L. Mansour at The World's Artist, with text adapted from Wikipedia.