Genre
Genre
A woman by a window
c.1515-1520Engraving | RCIN 852324
An engraving depicting a woman sitting near a window, copy of a print by Marcantonio Raimondi (RCIN 852323) which is after a drawing now in the Uffizi, Florence (inv. no. 1973 F), where it is catalogued as by Raphael and dated 1514 by Joannides (see Bibliographic References). This print does not include the angel with the cross outside the window. Trimmed within the platemark. Annotated on the verso.
The drawing in the Uffizi was traditionally catalogued as by Parmigianino (Bartsch suggested this print was after a drawing either by Raphael or Parmigianino). More recently, archival documents have proved the attribution of the drawing to Raphael (see Bibliographic References).
The female figure has been variously interpreted as Danae (on the basis of a later inscription on the drawing) or most likely as the representation of St Helena (as in a painting by Paolo Veronese, now in the National Gallery, London, inv. no. NG1041; see RCIN 852329 for a photograph of this painting). According to the story, St Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, during her quest to discover the location of the True Cross (the cross on which Christ had been crucified) received divine help whilst dreaming.
In the drawing the woman is depicted on the left, with various studies for God the Father appearing to Moses and architectural studies for St Peter's Basilica. The first set of studies is connected with the composition of 'Moses before the Burning Bush', designed by Raphael and painted in the vault of the Stanza di Eliodoro in the Vatican.
The drawing in the Uffizi was traditionally catalogued as by Parmigianino (Bartsch suggested this print was after a drawing either by Raphael or Parmigianino). More recently, archival documents have proved the attribution of the drawing to Raphael (see Bibliographic References).
The female figure has been variously interpreted as Danae (on the basis of a later inscription on the drawing) or most likely as the representation of St Helena (as in a painting by Paolo Veronese, now in the National Gallery, London, inv. no. NG1041; see RCIN 852329 for a photograph of this painting). According to the story, St Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, during her quest to discover the location of the True Cross (the cross on which Christ had been crucified) received divine help whilst dreaming.
In the drawing the woman is depicted on the left, with various studies for God the Father appearing to Moses and architectural studies for St Peter's Basilica. The first set of studies is connected with the composition of 'Moses before the Burning Bush', designed by Raphael and painted in the vault of the Stanza di Eliodoro in the Vatican.
Added to the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection (c.1853-76)
