- Museum number
- 1866,0714.79
- Description
-
The heads of the Virgin and Child to front, the Virgin looking downwards
Silverpoint, on pale pink prepared paper (medium verified by XRF analysis)
- Production date
- 1509 (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 143 millimetres
-
Width: 111 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Amended entry from NG Raphael exhibition:
This luminous silverpoint study from the so-called Pink Sketchbook cannot be related specifically to any of Raphael's early Roman Madonna and Child paintings. The refined beauty and downward cast gaze of the Virgin in the drawing is perhaps most reminiscent of the figure in the National Gallery's 'Garvagh Madonna'; while his tender portrayal of the joyful child may have been a source of inspiration for his depictions of the Infant Christ in the Large Cowper Madonna in Washington and in the much damaged 'Mackintosh Madonna' in the National Gallery (the cartoon for which is in the BM,1894,0721.1). The turn of Christ's head away from his mother is also related to an early study for the Garvagh Madonna in another 'Pink Sketchbook' drawing at Lille (Joannides 1983, no. 274). Raphael's virtuoso handling of metalpoint is exemplified by the subtle modelling of the Virgin's head which is achieved almost entirely through parallel hatching with only minimal internal modelling. The crystalline precision of the detail in the description of the Virgin's youthful features contrasts with the sketchier treatment of her hair and of the Christ Child.
This is one of two Raphael drawings recorded in the collection of the Roman neo-classical painter Vincenzo Camuccini (1771-1844) who also owned the National Gallery's 'Madonna of the Pinks'.
HC
Lit.: P. Pouncey and J.A. Gere, 'Italian Drawings in the BM, Raphael and His Circle', London, 1962, I, no. 24, II, pl. 29; J.A. Gere and N. Turner, in exhib. cat., BM, 'Drawings by Raphael from the Royal Library, the Ashmolean, the British Museum, Chatsworth and other English collections', 1983, no. 117; P Joannides, 'The Drawings of Raphael', Oxford, 1983, no. 275; E. Knab, E. Mitsch and K. Oberhuber, 'Raphael Die Zeichnungen', Stuttgart, 1983, no. 414; H. Chapman, in exhib. cat. (H. Chapman, T. Henry, C. Plazzotta et al.), London, National Gallery, 'Raphael from Urbino to Rome', 2004, no. 97; P. Joannides, in exhib. cat. (A. Coliva ed.), Rome, Villa Borghese, 'Raffaeelo da Firenze a Roma', 2006, no. 44; C. Van Cleave, 'Master Drawings of the Italian Renaissance', London, 2007, p. 142, illustrated p. 144
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1962-1963 Nov-Sep, BM, 'Raphael and his Circle'
1983, BM, 'Drawings by Raphael', no.117
2004-2005 Oct-Jan, London, National Gallery, 'Raphael: From Urbino to Rome'
2006 May-Aug, Rome, Galleria Borghese, 'Raffaello: Da Firenze a Roma'
2015 May-Jul, Washington, National Gallery of Art, 'Drawing in Silver and Gold'
2015 10 Sep-6 Dec, London, British Museum, 'Drawing in Silver and Gold'
- Acquisition date
- 1866
- Acquisition notes
- Camuccini and Vernon are according to dept. records.
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1866,0714.79
