Raffaello - Studie zum Henker im Urteil Salomos (Studie für das Deckenfresko, Stanza della Segnatura, Vatikan), 189v

A muscular male figure is depicted in a dynamic, forward-leaning pose with one arm extended. This is a preliminary sketch for an executioner in a scene where King Solomon judges two women claiming the same child. The drawing captures the physical tension and anatomy of the figure before it was finalized in a Vatican fresco.

This study contributed to the ceiling of the Stanza della Segnatura, a room designed to synthesize the four branches of human knowledge—Philosophy, Theology, Poetry, and Justice—into a Neoplatonic whole. The Judgment of Solomon specifically represents the attribute of Justice, connecting the biblical narrative to the philosophical ideal of the 'Just Ruler'.