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Exhibitions and records of works of art

Prince Albert recognised the importance of photography to record and document notable exhibitions and works of art

AFTER A WORK BY THE CIRCLE OF PIETRO PERUGINO (CITTÀ DELLA PIEVE C.1450-FONTIGNANO 1523)

Angel scattering flowers on a bearded man seated on the ground

1858

Albumen print? | RCIN 2864257

A photograph of a drawing by an artist from the circle of Perugino; part of the 'Libretto Veneziano', now in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice (f. 56r). The figure of the winged angel standing on the left shows similarities with one of the two angels depicted in the so-called ‘Holy Family of Francis I’, a painting attributed to Raphael and his workshop (1518) now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. no.604). A photograph of the ‘Holy Family of Francis I’ can be found at RCIN 851028.

Showing a winged angel, standing on the left, with outstretched arms, strewing flowers on a bearded man wearing a cap and seating on the ground.

This drawing is part of the so-called "Libretto di Raffaello" or "Libretto Veneziano", 53 sheets that used to be mounted in a volume. After complicated negotiations, the sketchbook was bought by the Accademia in the 1820s, after the death of Giuseppe Bossi, who was its previous owner. A number of scholars debated the author of the drawings (with many names proposed, such as Pinturicchio, Antonio da Viterbo, Eusebio del Giorgio, Girolamo Genga) and their date. In 1984, the drawings were catalogued as by an artist contemporary to Raphael, whose juvenile works he copied in this sketchbook (see Bibliographic References).

A copy of this photograph (RCIN 851044) can be found in the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection, portfolio 11 (970570)

  • Creator(s)

    After a work by the circle of Pietro Perugino (Città della Pieve c.1450-Fontignano 1523) (artist)

    After a work previously attributed to Raphael (Urbino 1483-Rome 1520) (artist)

    Attributed to Florence : Alinari (photographer)

  • Acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

  • Subject(s)
    • Religion & Theology
      • Religions and faiths
        • Christianity
          • Angels, demons, devils, saints
            • Angels
    • Natural Sciences & Mathematics
      • Botany
        • Systematic botany
          • Flowering plants
  • Bibliographic reference(s)

    Gallerie dell' Accademia di Venezia : catalogo dei disegni antichi. v.
    Disegni Umbri; pp.139-40, no.53

    Peronnet 1997 : Peronnet, B, 1997. Dessins italiens du Musee Conde a Chantilly II. Raphael et son cercle, Paris
    pp.60-61, under no.9

    Capellen 2005 : Capellen, JM, 2005. Raphael : the paintings. Volume 2, The Roman Religious Paintings ca.1508-1520
    pp. 170-177, no. 62