Raffaello Sanzio, Testa di Musa, 1510 circa, matita nera su carta bianca

The drawing shows a young woman looking downward with her hair tied in an intricate bun. Fine lines and hatching create a sense of soft light and volume across her face and the loose curls around her ear. This sketch served as a life study for one of the divine figures accompanying Apollo in the Vatican apartments.

As a study for the Parnassus, this figure represents the Neoplatonic concept of 'divine frenzy' or poetic inspiration. It belongs to a decorative program intended to harmonize classical mythology with Christian theology and philosophical reason.