The Head of a Horse

This is a large-scale preparatory drawing, or cartoon fragment, showing the head of a horse with wide eyes and flared nostrils. The work emphasizes dramatic tension and movement through the energetic rendering of the mane and the creature's intense gaze. It was created as a study for the divine horseman in the 'Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple' fresco in the Vatican.

Representing the High Renaissance mastery of animal anatomy, this study reflects the era's natural philosophy, which sought to understand the 'anima' or spirit of living creatures through precise observation. Within the Western tradition, the horse in the underlying scene serves as a vessel for divine justice, connecting to Neoplatonic ideas regarding the hierarchy of beings and the use of physical force in the service of the sacred.