Studies for the Transfiguration

"Studies for the Transfiguration" is a preparatory sketch and study by Raphael, showcasing his artistic development during the High renaissance period. This série of Pencil Paper drawings reveals his meticulous planning for his final masterpiece, "The Transfiguration." Commissioned by Cardinal Giulio de Medici (later Pope Clement VII), the work was intended as an altarpiece for Narbonne Cathedral and is notable for combining the depiction of the Transfiguration with a scene from the Gospels in the lower register—an unusual choice for Christian art. Now housed in the Vatican's Pinacoteca, it exemplifies Raphael's mastery and serves as a crucial study in his late High renaissance evolution.