The prophets Hosea and Jonah

A facsimile engraving reproducing, in reverse, a drawing by Raphael now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington (inv.no.1991.217.4) for the left-hand side of the fresco depicting four prophets, painted by the workshop of Raphael c.1511-14 in the Chigi Chapel in Santa Maria della Pace, Rome. Lettered with attribution of the design to Raphael and provenance details for the drawing. Published as Plate 44 in Conrad Martin Metz, Imitations of Ancient and Modern Drawings (London, 1789). Annotated on verso.

The reproduced drawing shows the prophets Hosea and Jonah with an angel behind them. For a photograph of this drawing, see RCIN 853812.

Raphael was commissioned, probably early in 1511, by the banker Agostino Chigi to decorate his chapel in Santa Maria della Pace. The initial plan of decoration for the chapel included frescoes, two bronze roundels and an altarpiece; however, whilst Raphael executed some designs for the altarpiece, which was to depict the resurrection, it was never executed, and the bronze roundels, whilst cast, appear to never have been installed. The frescoes comprise two registers, with four prophets on the top  (flanking a window) and four sybils below. According to Vasari, portions of the frescoes were painted by Timoteo Viti.