This is self-recommending if there ever was such a thing.  What I found so striking is how many mini-exhibits were embedded in the broader show.  Those include: 1. The early large pieces from Colonna and Castello — how many of you are going to get there to see them in situ? 2. A mini-exhibit of works from Perugino, Raphael’s teacher and mentor, and a wonderful painter in his own right. 3. A small set of knockout Leonardo drawings. 4. Two Roman sculptures that showed some background influences behind Raphael’s work. 5. Three full-size “derivations” based upon the Vatican tapestries, from 16th century Flemish studios. 6. Plenty of light-sensitive drawings, which are not displayed much or are held in very scattered locales. It is rare to have so much original content in a single exhibit, and of such high quality, and unrelated to previous exhibits one might have seen.  This was an event. The Alba Madonna , in DC’s National Gallery, still strikes me as Raphael’s best creation.…