Head and right forearm and hand holding a violin bow, Pp,1.67

This drawing depicts the head of a youth with thick, curly hair looking downward in contemplation. Below the head, a separate sketch shows a right hand and forearm delicately holding a thin rod, identified as a bow for a stringed instrument. The fine, precise lines are executed in metalpoint on a light grey-toned paper, capturing soft shadows and anatomical details.

This is a primary study for the figure of Apollo in Raphael's 'Parnassus' fresco in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura. In the Neoplatonic decorative program of the room, Apollo represents the divine source of poetic inspiration and the harmony of the spheres, reflecting the Renaissance synthesis of classical mythology and Christian theology.