Charity for the Predella of the 'Baglioni Altarpiece'

A photograph of a preparatory drawing by Raphael (c.1506-07) now in the Albertina, Vienna (inv. no. 245r) for the painting depicting Charity now in the Pinacoteca Vaticana (inv. no. 331). See RCIN 850292.c for a photograph of this painting. This drawing features a study for a Deposition on the verso (see RCIN 850453 for a photograph of the verso).

The painting of Charity together with those depicting Hope and Faith (see RCINs 850292.b and 850292.a for photographs of these) used to form the predella of an altarpiece (Baglioni Altarpiece) executed by Raphael for the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia and commissioned by Atalanta Baglioni to commemorate the death of her son Grifonetto, who was murdered in 1500. The predella panels were confiscated by Napoleon and housed in Paris from 1797 until the end of the Napoleonic era.

Raphael's choice of depicting the three theological virtues is unusual, as artists more often chose for the predella panels narrative stories related to the central panel. The central panel of this altarpiece is the so-called Borghese Entombment, a painting executed by Raphael (1507) now in the Galleria Borghese, Rome (inv.no. 170). Raphael is documented in Perugia in 1505, when scholars believe that Raphael received the commission and the majority of his preparatory drawings are dated c.1506-07. A photograph of the painting is at RCIN 850288.

Nevertheless, the subjects depicted in the predella panels are connected with the overall commission: Hope and Faith are related to the motif embodied in the Entombment (Christ's Martyrdom) and Charity underlines the role of motherhood, as a grieving mother was the donor of this altarpiece.