Genre
Genre
AFTER MARCANTONIO RAIMONDI (C. 1480-1534)
A woman by a window
published 1829Etching | 21.3 x 14.2 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 852325
An etching 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 by Joannides 1514 (see Bibliographic References). This print was published in Vivant Denon "Monuments des Arts du Dessin" 1829, Plate XCIII, vol.II. On watermarked paper. Annotated on the verso. Trimmed within the platemark.
This drawing 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
This drawing 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
Creator(s)
After Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480-1534) (engraver)
After a work attributed to Raphael (Urbino 1483-Rome 1520) (draughtsman)
After a work previously attributed to Parmigianino (Parma 1503-Casalmaggiore 1540) (draughtsman)
Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825) (publisher)
MA
216 // 283 // N. 4
21.3 x 14.2 cm (sheet of paper)
Added to the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection (c.1853-76)
Subject(s)
- Science, Medicine and Technology
- Construction
- Structural parts of buildings
- Windows
- Window sills
- Windows
- Structural parts of buildings
- Construction
- Religion & Theology
- Religions and faiths
- Religions of antiquity
- Classical mythology
- Danaë (myth)
- Classical mythology
- Religions of antiquity
- Religions and faiths
- Science, Medicine and Technology
Bibliographic reference(s)
p. 441, no. 1973 F (Inventario Uffizi. Disegni Esposti II 1987 : Disegni esposti, vol. 2, 1987 / a cura di Annamaria Petrioli Tofani, Florence (Gabinetto disegni e stampe degli Uffizi) )
p. 219, no. 342r (Joannides 1983 : Joannides, P., 1983. The Drawings of Raphael, with a complete catalogue, Oxford)
