Study for ‘Raphael and the Fornarina’ c. 1814

This is a pencil drawing on paper by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, completed in 1814. The work is a study for his famous painting "Raphael and La Fornarina" (1823), which depicts the Renaissance artist Raphael with his mistress, La Fornarina. This particular study focuses on the figure of La Fornarina, capturing her beauty and the elegant drapery of her clothing. The simplicity of the composition and the meticulous detail in the drawing are typical of Ingres’s Neoclassical style. The drawing provides insight into Ingres’s artistic process, showcasing his careful attention to anatomy and his ability to translate the human form with precision.