RAFFAELLO Sanzio
(b. 1483, Urbino, d. 1520, Roma)

A Soldier before the Cell of St Peter

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Pen and ink and wash on white paper, 274 x 254 mm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

Raphael's fresco of the Liberation of St Peter, done for Pope Julius II, commemorated the Apostle's imprisonment before rising to the papacy. This presentation drawing, which differs from the final work, may represent a stage in the discussions between patron and painter.