CIRCLE OF RAPHAEL | Head of a female muse

Private Collection, U.S.A.

Laid down on a card backing. There is some staining and areas of surface dirt as one would expect from a drawing of this age.There is an old diagonal crease to the upper right corner and a small repaired tear to the left half of the upper edge. There is a small tab of paper adhered to the lower left corner, probably the remains of an old mount. The red chalk remains in reasonably good condition throughout. Sold unframed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This delicate red chalk drawing is a rare period copy of a highly important head study by Raphael, today housed in the collection of the Fondazione Horne, Florence.¹ The female figure depicted appears immediately to the right of Apollo, in Raphael's Parnassus, (Fig.1, detail) one of the artist's monumental frescoes executed for Pope Julius II in the Stanza della Segnatura, circa 1509-11. While the present sheet is fractionally smaller than the Fondazione Horne drawing, and executed in red, rather than black chalk, the proximity of mark making is so close between the two that it seems plausible that the artist responsible for the present work had access to Raphael's original drawing.

Raphael's two most talented assistants during this period of his career were Giulio Romano and Gianfrancesco Penni, both of whom established significant reputations of their own, following Raphael's untimely death in 1520. Whilst the name of Giulio has historically been associated with this drawing, there are few chalk drawings by him from this early period in his career, with which to make a meaningful comparison.

^1. E. Knab, E. Mitsch and K. Oberhuber, Raphael, I Disegni, Florence 1983, p. 615, no. 379, fig. 379, reproduced