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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileTwo muscular male figures are rendered in brown ink, one seen from behind and the other leaning forward from the side, demonstrating a focus on anatomical precision. The figures appear to be resting or climbing on a curved incline, with hands placed for balance. A smaller, delicately sketched standing female figure is visible near the bottom center of the page.
Raphael's anatomical studies reflect the Renaissance Neoplatonic belief that the human body is a microcosm of the universe, embodying divine order through proportion. These sketches were essential preparatory steps for his major philosophical commissions, such as the frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura.
171 W DI
The School of Athens
Raphael utilized these types of life studies to compose the various philosophers and figures in his definitive visual representation of the Western intellectual tradition.
Marsilio Ficino
Raphael's pursuit of idealized human form was deeply influenced by the Neoplatonic theories of beauty and the divine soul promoted by Ficino.
Object
Oil on panel
anatomical
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://sammlungenonline.albertina.at/ "Raffaello Santi" (KÜNSTLER_IN) Graphische Sammlung (Sammlung)
850 × 1245 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.