Recto Four standing soldiers

A pen-and-ink drawing showing a group of four men in various poses, ranging from near-nudity to wearing classical tunics and helmets. The artist focuses on the distribution of weight in the bodies and the muscular anatomy of the legs and torsos. One figure on the left holds a sword, while others are equipped with large shields and distinctive, antique-style headgear.

Raphael’s anatomical studies reflect the Renaissance Neoplatonic ideal that the perfection of the human body is a mirror of cosmic harmony and divine proportion. This intellectual movement, influential in the courts of Rome and Florence, sought to harmonize the classical heritage of pagan antiquity with Christian theology.