Verso Two Sketches of Figures, compositional sketch for the Chigi Chapel, Santa Maria della Pace

These light studies show figures in twisting, dynamic poses, capturing the early stages of Raphael's design for the prophetesses and their angelic attendants. The drawing exhibits the delicate line-work used to establish anatomical proportions and the interaction between figures before the final painting stage.

The sketches relate to the Chigi Chapel's theme of divine prophecy, a key component of Renaissance Neoplatonism which viewed the ancient Sibyls as holders of the 'prisca theologia'. These pagan seers were believed to have foretold the coming of Christ, serving as a bridge between the classical mysteries and Christian revelation.