Michelangelo was in a sulk. It was the autumn of 1508 and he had just heard that the Pope had appointed a young upstart to decorate the Vatican. This was Raphael, just 25 years old and regarded as a marvel.
While Michelangelo had been commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel, the newcomer was to work on the adjoining apartments. Whose star would shine the brightest? Both egos were on a collision course: Michelangelo and Raphael were now rivals.
The genius
Each installment of “The Friendship Files” features a conversation between The Atlantic’s Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship.
This week she speaks with the actors Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael, who co-host The Deep Dive, a podcast that explores their friendship and adult womanhood. They discuss how they found close female friends despite feeling set up to compete by the entertainment industry, how they’ve called
