Raphael achieved fame above all as a painter for his harmonious and balanced compositions and lovely pictures of the Madonna. During his lifetime, he enjoyed the privilege of being known only by his first name, and even today very few people know his surname. Until well into the 19th century, he was considered the greatest painter of all time.[1] Besides his career as a painter in Florence and at the papal court in Rome he also became site manager of the St. Peter's Basilica and overseer of the Roman antiquities.