“Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael,” a new exhibition hosted by London’s Royal Academy of Arts, touches on the competition between Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael – the most famous artists of the 15th-16th-century Italian Renaissance. Visitors have a chance to admire some of the most extraordinary examples of their work, including da Vinci’s “Burlington House Cartoon.” Leonardo and Michelangelo’s studies for their murals, which the Florentine government commissioned for the lavish council hall in the Palazzo Vecchio, are also available for public view.

The exhibition opened on November 8, 2024, and will run through February 15, 2025. An adult ticket with donation costs £21.00 – a decent price to see the work of the most renowned and talented masters of their generation.

When Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael Crossed Paths

The Italian Renaissance is a unique period in artistic history for many reasons. One of them is that three extremely talented artists lived and worked in the same period. Their fierce competition for fame, recognition, and projects commissioned by Florentine and Roman patrons motivated Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael to bring out the best in their art. It is also through this competition that their unique styles have been most vividly emphasized. The exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts explores how these different styles played out in the depiction of similar topics. For example, the familiar character of the Virgin Mary is represented with surprising uniqueness in each of these artists’ pieces.

Bitter Rivalry of the Italian Renaissance

While the public can now enjoy the fruits of the competition, it was not as enjoyable for the artists themselves at the time. Even though the three artists were of different age, a significant part of their careers (at least 20 years) was marked by competition. Leonardo and Michelangelo were known to dislike one another and were even seen nearly fighting on the streets.

As if their rivalry for projects and the patronage of the Medici family in Florence was not enough, young Raphael joined in the quest for success at the beginning of the 16th century. He was eager to learn from the two masters but was also keen to develop his unique style. Even though Michelangelo argued that Raphael learned everything from him, it is also believed that he was jealous of his talent. Bitterness and rivalry, however, did not prevent the three artists from creating the most remarkable pieces of art in history, including the remarkable sculpture of David, the Mona Lisa, and the Sistine ceiling.