The Coronation of the Virgin

This silverpoint drawing depicts the celestial coronation of Mary by Christ, both seated upon a classical architectural throne. To the left, a figure stands looking toward the viewer, while to the right, another saintly figure observes the divine event. It is a refined preparatory study for the upper portion of the Oddi Altarpiece.

The coronation represents the theme of the Soul's ascent and its final union with the Divine, a concept central to Renaissance Neoplatonism. In the intellectual circles of Raphael's time, the Virgin was often interpreted as an archetype of the perfected Soul (Anima) returning to the Empyrean.