Exhibitions and records of works of art
Prince Albert recognised the importance of photography to record and document notable exhibitions and works of art
Studies for the Judgement of Solomon
1858Albumen print? | 23 x 25 cm (image) | RCIN 2864303
A photograph of a drawing by Raphael (c.1510) now in the Albertina, Vienna (inv. no.189 r). The studies connect with the 'Judgement of Solomon', one of the four rectangular frescoes painted on the vault of the Stanza della Segnatura in the Vatican, a photograph of which can be found at RCIN 852654. See RCIN 852658 for a photograph of the verso of this drawing.
A sketch for the ‘true mother’ is visible in the centre; at lower right is a study for the kneeling ‘false mother’. The naked executioner on the left, with further study to upper-right, was used in the ‘Massacre of the Innocents’, an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi. See RCIN 850413 for this print. 'The Massacre of the Innocents' was produced during the early years of the collaboration between Marcantonio and Raphael; six drawings by Raphael related to this composition survive, though no painting is known. See RCINs 850419, 850421, 850422 and 850424 for photographs of the other drawings.
Another photograph of this drawing is included in the "Stanza della Segnatura" section of the Raphael Collection; see RCIN 852657 for it.
A copy of this photograph (RCIN 850425) can be found in the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection, portfolio 5 (970564)
Creator(s)
After Raphael (Urbino 1483-Rome 1520) (artist)
Attributed to Florence : Alinari (photographer)
23 x 25 cm (image)
Acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Bibliographic reference(s)
Joannides 1983 : Joannides, P., 1983. The Drawings of Raphael, with a complete catalogue, Oxford
p.195, no.252vShoemaker/Broun 1981 : I. Shoemaker and E. Broun. The Engravings of Marcantonio Raimondi: Spencer Museum of Art; The Ackland Art Museum, 1981
pp.96-99, no. 21; pp.108-109, no. 26Raphael Invenit 1985 : G. Bernini Pezzini et al., Raphael Invenit. Stampe di Raffaello nelle Collezioni dell'Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica, Rome, 1985
p. 172, no. VI.1-2 (entries written by Stefania Massari)
