Raffaello - Sitzende Muse (Studie für den Parnass, Stanza della Segnatura, Vatikan), 219r

This sketch depicts a female figure in profile, partially draped in billowing classical robes, with her right arm raised toward her face. Her gaze is directed upward, capturing a moment of divine contemplation or poetic transport. The fluid lines emphasize the structural anatomy and the dynamic flow of fabric intended for the final monumental wall painting.

The figure represents a Muse, an intermediary between the divine and the human intellect in the Neoplatonic tradition. As part of the Stanza della Segnatura, this work contributes to a grand visual synthesis of human knowledge, where poetry (represented by Parnassus) is linked to divine inspiration and the harmony of the spheres.