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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis drawing is a preparatory study, known as an auxiliary cartoon, showing a young man with deeply recessed eyes and a slightly parted mouth. The energetic, wavy lines of the hair suggest movement, while the fine charcoal or chalk work captures the subtle play of light and shadow on the face. It displays the artist's focus on 'affetti'—the outward physical manifestation of internal psychological and spiritual states.
As a work by Raphael, this drawing reflects the High Renaissance synthesis of classical form and Neoplatonic philosophy, where the human figure was seen as a mirror of divine order. It likely served as a study for one of the figures in 'The Transfiguration,' a painting that explores the boundary between the earthly and the celestial realms, a central theme in the Hermetic and Neoplatonic traditions favored by the Roman court.
Marsilio Ficino
Raphael's depictions of intense human emotion were informed by Ficino's Neoplatonic theories regarding the 'spiritus' and the soul's expression through the physical body.
Object
Oil on panel
portrait
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
photo Shonagon 2023-09-18
3077 × 2508 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on March 31, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.