Verso Head of a Woman

This metalpoint drawing shows a woman's face in three-quarter view with her eyes cast down. Fine hatching provides subtle shading on her features, while her hair is sketched with fluid, sweeping lines. The paper appears to have a prepared ground, characteristic of High Renaissance metalpoint techniques.

This drawing is a preparatory study for one of the Muses in Raphael's 'Parnassus' fresco in the Stanza della Segnatura. As part of a program that includes 'The School of Athens', it reflects the Neoplatonic synthesis of classical mythology and humanistic philosophy under Pope Julius II.