Studies of drapery

A photograph of a sheet of drapery studies catalogued by Ruland (1876) as being in 'the sketch-book at Venice' and connected to a drawing then thought to be by Raphael (see RCIN 853766) and preparatory for the fresco 'Enea Silvio Piccolomini crowned Poet Laureate by Emperor Frederick III' painted by Pinturicchio and his workshop (1502-07/08) in the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. Annotated in ink on the verso.

The decoration of the Piccolomini library was commissioned by Cardinal Francesco Todeschino Piccolomini (later Pope Pius III) in 1502 from Raphael's older Perugian contemporary Pinturicchio. The frescoes illustrate events in the life of Pope Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini), the Cardinal's uncle. Vasari credited Raphael with executing 'some drawings and some cartoons' for the library at the express request of Pinturicchio. Scholarly opinion has been divided over the attribution of preparatory drawings for the frescoes, but at least five drawings convincingly related to the decorative scheme are considered to be by Raphael (see Bibliographic References). For a photograph of the fresco to which this drawing was thought to be related, see RCIN 853764.

The so-called Venice Sketchbook was previously believed to be by Raphael's hand; it is now considered to be by a closely-associated artist.