Raffaello - Sitzende Muse (Terpsychore), 220

This sketch shows a seated female figure in classical robes with her body twisted in a dynamic pose. The artist uses fine lines to explore the anatomy of the figure and the heavy folds of the drapery around her legs. It is a study for one of the figures in the 'Parnassus' fresco in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura.

In the Neoplatonic environment of the High Renaissance, the Muses represented the nine levels of celestial harmony and the 'divine madness' required for poetic inspiration. This work reflects the integration of classical mythology with Christian theology, a central project of the Roman Neoplatonists who advised the Papal court.