How to Crush Your Competition
Lessons from the great Renaissance rivalry…
The Renaissance wasn’t just about beauty — it was about competition. Artists didn’t simply create art, they worked as hard as they could to outperform others and be the greatest in their field.
No rivalry was more intense than Raphael vs. Michelangelo. The two men embodied completely different approaches to art and life, and viewed each other with considerable disdain. Raphael, 8 years Michelangelo’s junior, had to work especially hard to catch up.
In documenting Raphael’s rise to fame, most people focus on the ways in which he diversified his art from that of his rival. But here’s the part no one talks about — what Raphael actually copied from Michelangelo.
Crucially, the young artist understood that greatness isn’t just about talent, it’s about learning from the best — especially your competition. Today, we explore how Raphael turned his greatest rival into his greatest teacher, and how you can learn from his example to do the same…
But first — this summer we are hosting our first ever INVICTUS retreat, The History of Rome as Told by Its Heroes.
Click here to learn more about the retreat and how to apply today. If you love the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, and the Eternal City, you do NOT want to miss this…
Raphael’s Early Success in Rome
In 1508, Raphael arrived in Rome. He was young, ambitious, and eager to make a name for himself. Though just 25 years old, he had already established his reputation in cities like Florence and Perugia (see his works The Madonna of the Goldfinch and The Deposition) — but in Rome, he was still a newcomer.
To help land his first major commission, Raphael tapped into one of the oldest of human bonds — shared origins — and turned to Donato Bramante. The architect of Saint Peter’s Basilica was happy to support a fellow Urbino native, and advocated for his hometown fellow to Pope Julius II.
The move paid off, and Raphael was commissioned to paint the papal apartments. The resulting art was nothing short of a masterpiece.
Raphael’s frescoes, especially The School of Athens, were hailed as an immediate triumph. His figures were elegant, balanced, and intellectual. His work catapulted him to the top of his field, securing his place as one of the most sought-after painters in Rome.
But Raphael didn’t grow complacent. While others celebrated his achievement, he became aware of another artist toiling away in secrecy in the Sistine Chapel. The artist in question, Michelangelo, refused to let anyone see his progress.
Whatever he was up to, it was something big…
The Unveiling of the Sistine Chapel
When Michelangelo finally unveiled the Sistine Chapel ceiling in 1512, he left all of Rome in awe.
Raphael saw the ceiling and immediately realized that his own work, as refined as it was, lacked Michelangelo’s raw energy and power. While his figures were beautiful, Michelangelo’s were more than that — they exploded with tension, life, and movement.
Here came the crucial movement for Raphael. He could have ignored Michelangelo’s work, confident in his own prior success. But he knew true greatness requires humility, and a willingness to recognize when someone else was doing something revolutionary.
Raphael understood that if he didn’t evolve, he would be left behind. It was a moment that could have led to envy or bitterness. But instead, Raphael did what all great minds do — he studied, he adapted, and he evolved…
Transforming His Style
After studying Michelangelo’s ceiling, Raphael’s art changed forever.
His frescoes became more dramatic, his figures more muscular, and his compositions more dynamic. He absorbed Michelangelo’s intensity, but refined it with his own grace.
This transformation is visible in his works The Expulsion of Heliodorus, The Liberation of Saint Peter, and The Fire in the Borgo. But it is most celebrated in his final masterpiece, The Transfiguration — a painting in which not one detail or facial expression goes to waste.
While the painting itself hangs in the Vatican Museums, a mosaic copy of it is displayed as an altarpiece in Saint Peter’s Basilica, where it is viewed by about 10 million people each year. One American author described his experience beholding the painting as such:
I shall remember The Transfiguration partly because it was placed in a room almost by itself; partly because it is acknowledged by all to be the first oil painting in the world; and partly because it was wonderfully beautiful.
Mark Twain, 1869
By the time of his death in 1520, Raphael had proven that true mastery wasn’t about staying the same — it was about growth, adaptation, and constant refinement. Instead of ignoring, disparaging, or growing resentful of Michelangelo, he rather looked to him for inspiration.
In other words, he recognized where he still had room to grow, and chose to learn from his rival. It was a choice that ensured his name would forever endure alongside that of the man he competed so strongly against.
Takeaways
1) Stay Hungry
Raphael could have rested on his early successes, but he kept pushing for more. It was his hunger to grow — despite already being at the top — that fueled his evolution. Even at your peak, there’s always a higher level to reach.
2) Evolve or Be Left Behind
The Sistine Chapel ceiling forced Raphael to confront the limits of his style. Instead of resisting change, he embraced it. Growth demands flexibility — those who cling to the status quo risk fading into irrelevance.
3) Greatness Requires Humility
Raphael didn’t let pride block his path forward. He recognized the brilliance of his rival and used it to sharpen his own skills. True greatness isn’t about always being the best — it’s about always being willing to learn, even from those you compete against.
Want to dive deeper?
If you’d like to explore Raphael’s art in person, be sure to join us on our summer retreat to Rome! He will be one of the main figures we cover on the day dedicated to Rome’s Renaissance Age.
This Thursday at 9am ET, James and I go live on X to discuss the life and career of Raphael, with a special focus on his Roman period masterpieces. Visit my X account at 9am to access the livestream — once it ends, the stream will be added to our Members-Only Video Archive for you to catch the replay.
Also this Thursday, our premium subscribers will get a deep dive article on the one painting that propelled Raphael from provincial painter to international artist…
If you’re not already a premium subscriber, please consider joining below — and don’t forget that members of our Praetorian Guard get 5% off on retreats, and priority selection for attendance!
Ad finem fidelis,
-Evan
This is awesome. What a fine piece of advice by one of the greatest: adapt or die. Darwin also said that after several centuries.