The youthful artist Raphael burst on the scene in Renaissance Italy in 1504 with an intricate style that was influenced by his predecessors Fra Bartolommeo, Leonardo, and Michelangelo. In 1508, at the age of 26, the young artist was invited by Pope Julius II to paint a fresco in the Pope’s private library in the Vatican Palace. Not only did he beat competitors such as Michelangelo and Leonardo to win the commission, but his work also gained rapturous reviews.
Michelangelo did not take well to the competition. As Robert S. Liebert writes in “Raphael, Michelangelo, Sebastiano: High Renaissance Rivalry,” he “made Raphael bear the brunt of his unrelenting envy, contempt, and anger.”
But Raphael could give as good as he got. For one thing, Raphael painted a sulking Michelangelo as Heraclitus in The School of Athen.
Envy is a sin that hurts oneself and often leads to other sins. Today in prayer, confess any sin of envy and thank the Lord that He is a generous God He has given you all that you need to bring glory to Him.
“Few men have the strength to honor a friend's success without envy.” – Aeschylus
God’s Word: “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” – Proverbs 14:30
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