Studies of the Christ Child

This drawing shows three separate sketches of a young child's body in motion. The artist uses red chalk to carefully model the rounded limbs and soft belly of the infant. These sketches were likely used to help the artist plan the position of the baby Jesus in a larger painting.

During the High Renaissance, artists like Raphael studied the human body to reflect the harmony and order of the divine. This practice was influenced by Neoplatonic ideas circulating in Rome, which held that physical beauty was a reflection of spiritual perfection.