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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis delicate study in metalpoint or chalk captures the precise anatomy and tension of a hand in profile. Faint, rhythmic lines suggest the folds of a heavy sleeve at the wrist, while the shading emphasizes the weight of the book being held. The work focuses entirely on the mechanics of the grip and the perspective of the fingers against the edges of the volume.
This drawing is a study for Raphael's frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura, likely for the 'Disputa' or 'The School of Athens.' It exemplifies the Renaissance focus on the 'humanist gesture'—the physical act of holding and presenting sacred or philosophical texts which served as the foundation for the synthesis of Christian theology and Neoplatonic thought.
Raphael, 'Disputation of the Holy Sacrament'
This sketch is a preliminary study for the hand of a figure (likely an Apostle or Church Father) holding a volume of scripture in the Vatican fresco.
Marsilio Ficino
Raphael's work in the Vatican was deeply influenced by the Neoplatonic revival and the intellectual hierarchy championed by Ficino.
Object
Oil on panel
anatomical
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://collectiononline.fondationcustodia.fr/bronnen/drawings/?fq%5B%5D=search_s_category:%22Drawing%22&fq%5B%5D=search_s_artistfilter:%22Sanzio,%20Raffaello%22&mode=gallery&view=horizontal
3028 × 2000 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on March 31, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.