Female Figure with a Tibia, and Ornamental Studies 1504 - 1508

Raphael made this drawing of a female figure with a tibia, and ornamental studies, with pen and brown ink in Italy in the early 16th century. We can read this as a preparatory sketch, a vital tool in the Renaissance artist's workshop. In that period, the Italian peninsula was a patchwork of city-states, each with its own artistic traditions and patronage networks. Artists relied on commissions from wealthy families, the Church, and civic institutions. Raphael, who enjoyed the patronage of the Vatican, was a master of visually encoding power and authority. Here we see a departure from such concerns: The figure with her tibia might be an early, informal study for a more formal composition. Understanding the institutional context helps us appreciate how artists operated within specific social and economic constraints. Further research into patronage records and workshop practices would reveal more about the function of drawings like this in Raphael's creative process.