Raffael - Figurenstudie für Johannes im Gemälde La Perla, KdZ 21551

This red chalk drawing captures a young, muscular boy in mid-motion, seen from the side and back. The artist uses soft hatching and contour lines to define the anatomical structure of the child's torso and limbs as he reaches forward. This sketch allowed the artist to work out the complex physical pose before committing it to the final painted composition.

This work exemplifies the Renaissance practice of disegno, where the pursuit of anatomical accuracy was linked to the Neoplatonic belief that physical beauty and mathematical proportion mirrored divine order. Such studies were central to the Roman High Renaissance style, which sought to harmonize naturalism with idealized form.