Raphael

3932

Raskob

Raphael, Santi, or Raffaellc, Sanzlo

(1483-1520), the greatest Italian painter of
the Roman school, was born at Urbino,
Timoteo Viti was his first master, and he f>n-
tered Perugino's atelier in 1499 or 1500,
where he was also under Pinturicchio's influ-
ence. He went to Florence in 1504, and came
under the influence of Leonardo da Vinci
and Michael Angelo, His extraordinary tal-
ents developed rapidly. His distinguishing
qualities were mastery of workmanship, per-
fection of design and of form, harmonious
beauty and serenity of expression, balanced
by refinement of taste and purity of color.
In 1508 he was summoned to Rome by Pope
Julius n. to decorate the state apartments in
the Vatican, a task for which he collected a
school of artists to aid him. He decorated
the ceilings and walls of four apartments.
Of his many Madonnas the finest are the Del
Granduca, Del Cardolina, the Del Fcligno
(Vatican), and the magnificent San Sisto
(Dresden). Among his finest portraits are
Mitts II. (Uffizi), La Donna Velata (Pitti),
and Joanna of Aragon (Louvre). So beloved
was he that all classes mourned his death.
His body lay in state with his unfinished
Transfiguration suspended above it, and he
was buried in the Pantheon at Rome. See
Vasari's Life (ed. 1878), Eng. trans, by
Blashfield and Hopkins (1896).

Raphia, a genus of tropical palms, mostly
natives of Africa, with elongated flowers and
long, equally pinnatisect leaves. R. ruffia, a
native of the Mascarene Is., furnishes, in its
leaves, the fibre known as raffia, which is im-
ported as a 'tie' material for plant nurseries,
fancy work, etc.

Rapid Fire Guns. See Guns.

Rapids, a part of a river in which the cur-
rent flows more rapidly than usual as it
passes over some resistant band of rock.
Rapids are usually barriers to upward navi-
gation, although not necessarily so to down-
stream traffic. They are valuable as sources
of mechanical power.

Rapier, a long, light, edgeless, and narrow
sword, adapted for thrusting rather than for
cutting. The blade has a lozenge-shaped sec-
tion. The rapier was introduced in England
from Spain, and in the i6th century was the
cavorite duelling weapon.

Rapp, George (1770-1847). Founder of
the Harmonists, born in Germany. He emi-
grated to Pennsylvania in 1803. There in
Butler co. he founded a society in which all
things were held in common, and both sexes

agreed to observe the rule of celibacy. In
1815 the community removed to Indiana,
and there established the town of New Har-
mony. Nine years afterward, however, they
sold out to Robert Owen, and, returning to
Pa., established the village of Economy in
Beaver co.

Rappahannock River, a stream which
rises in the Blue Ridge in Virginia, and pur-
sues a general s.e. course, flowing into Chesa-
peake Bay. Length, 250 m. The Rapidan is
its chief tributary.

Rapti, riv., United Provinces, India, rises
in the Himalayas, runs s. and then n.w. into
the Gogra. Length 400 m.

Raquette Lake, one of the numerous lakes
of the Adirondack region, N. Y., in the n.
part of Hamilton co. It is very irregular in
shape and is about 10 m. long, and i to 2l/2
m. wide.

Rare Earths. The elements of the rare
earths are metals that form earthy oxides
and occur in a few minerals of complex com-
position, chiefly found in Scandinavia and
America. Orthite, cerite, gadolinite, mon-
azite, and samarskite are among the chief.
Although our knowledge of the rare earths
is in some cases imperfect, several of them
have technical applications. Thus cerium is
used in medicine, thorium and cerium in in-
candescent gas mantles, and yttrium and zir-
conium in Nernst lamp 'glowers/

Raritan River, a stream of New Jersey,
formed near Somerville by the junction of a
n. and a s. branch, flowing e. to Raritan Bay,
a western arm of Lower New York Bay, be-
tween New Jersey and Staten Island. The
chief cities on its banks are Perth Amboy on
the n. side of its mouth, and New Bruns-
wick, 15 m. above, where there are falls, to
which it is navigable. At New Brunswick it
is spanned by a stone railroad bridge. The
river is 75 m. long.

Rashes, the eruptions of such diseases as
scarlet fever and measles. The term is usually
applied only to those efflorescences which
cover a considerable area of skin.

Rashnu, a deity of justice in the Persian
religion of Zoroastrianism. He and Mithras
are the judges who decide the fate of the soul
after death.

Raskob, John J. (1879- ), American
capitalist and public official, was born in
Lockport, N. Y. He has been connected in
many responsible positions first with the Du
Pont de Nemours Co. and then the General
Motors Corporation. In 1919 he was a mem-