Study for the Christ Child

This delicate sketch shows an infant figure in profile, seated and looking upward with an attentive expression. He holds a small, fluttering bird between his hands, rendered with quick, precise lines that define the soft weight of the child's body. A faint circular halo is visible around his head, marking the figure as divine.

The inclusion of the goldfinch is a significant iconographic detail symbolizing the future Passion of Christ, as the bird was believed to eat thorns. This study reflects the High Renaissance effort to harmonize naturalistic observation with Neoplatonic ideals of divine beauty and theological allegory.