Raffael Studie für die Schlacht an der Milvischen Brücke

This sheet shows a powerful study of a horse in mid-gallop, capturing the muscular tension and movement required for a large-scale battle scene. The artist used red chalk to create soft shadows and precise outlines, including peripheral sketches that focus on the anatomy of the eye and the horse's expressive head. These sketches served as preparations for the fresco of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in the Vatican.

This drawing reflects the Renaissance commitment to the empirical study of nature and anatomy as a foundation for high art. In the context of the Vatican's humanistic circles, such studies represented the artist's role as a natural philosopher, using 'disegno' to decode the physical world and represent the 'affetti' or inner movements of the soul.