Other Frescoes
Other Frescoes
ATTRIBUTED TO FRATELLI ALINARI [FLORENCE]
The journey of Enea Silvio Piccolomini to Basle
c.1853-76Albumen print | 59.6 x 35.1 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 853747
A photograph reproducing the fresco 'The journey of Enea Silvio Piccolomini to Basle' painted by Pinturicchio and his workshop (1502-07/08) with the aid of a preparatory drawing by Raphael in the Piccolomini Library in Siena Cathedral. The photograph is catalogued by Ruland (1876) as having been taken by the Florentine photographic firm Alinari.
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 compositional drawing by Raphael for this fresco, see RCIN 853749.
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 compositional drawing by Raphael for this fresco, see RCIN 853749.
Creator(s)
Attributed to Fratelli Alinari [Florence] (photographer)
After Bernardino Pinturicchio (c. 1452-1513) (artist)
59.6 x 35.1 cm (sheet of paper)
Acquired for the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection (c.1853-76)
Bibliographic reference(s)
pp.23-26 (Chapman/Plazzotta/Henry 2004 : Chapman, H, Plazzotta, C, Henry, T. Raphael. From Urbino to Rome. London, 2004)
nos 56-61 (Joannides 1983 : Joannides, P., 1983. The Drawings of Raphael, with a complete catalogue, Oxford)
