'Divine Raphael' (1483-1520) has always held a pre-eminent place among the greatest masters of painting, but perceptions of the artist have changed over the past hundred years. This film is the first in a two-part study, written by the film-maker and former art critic of The Times, David Thompson, reappraising Raphael's work. It examines his life and career up to the age of 25, following his movements from his native Urbino to Perugia and then to Florence. The film is shot on location in Urbino, Perugia, Florence and Rome, and shows footage of the Italian countryside that forms the background to the paintings, and the beautiful Renaissance palace of the Montefeltro family where the artist spent his youth. In-depth coverage is given to all of Raphael's early work, showing how he absorbed and transformed the ideas of Piero della Francesca, Perugino, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The final section is an illuminating commentary on the way in which Raphael refined and modified his treatment of a particular subject, the Madonna and Child, and imbued it with new life.