A sumptuous presentation (11.5x14<">), with 300 illustrations, most in color, representing all of Raphael's most important paintings as well as a significant number of his drawings and engravings. In the substantial text, art historian De Vecchi (U. of Milan) examines the artist's life and his works in detail, dispelling myths and exploring the roots and essence of his themes, techniques, and accomplishments. The end matter consists of a chronology, notes, a bibliography, an index of people, and an index of Raphael's works. This is the English language version of the original published by Editions Citadelles & Mazenod, Paris, 2002. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)