The book traces the history of Raphael through the reproduction of all his paintings, from his formative years to his rise in central Italy and his triumph in Rome, with in-depth studies of his architecture, studies and preparatory drawings, and the unpublished proposal of works that are now discussed and newly attributed.

Fabio Scaletti is a writer and art scholar. An expert on Caravaggio, he is the author of publications in journals and in books, focusing in particular on the Renaissance and the subject of attribution. His specialisation in Caravaggio was followed by a systematic study of major figures in the history of Italian Renaissance art, from Leonardo to Michelangelo and Raphael.