Recto Studies for a Group of flying Angels

This sheet shows a series of figure studies including three angels in dynamic flight at the top and a smaller putto below. To the right is a separate sketch of a standing man in profile. The drawings focus on the anatomical tension and gestural movement required for figures positioned in a celestial or cloud-borne setting.

These sketches are preparatory for Raphael's 'Disputa del Sacramento' in the Stanza della Segnatura, a room that represents the synthesis of Christian theology and Neoplatonic philosophy. The depiction of angelic hierarchies serves as a visual bridge between the material world and the divine, reflecting the Renaissance fascination with the celestial orders described by Pseudo-Dionysius.