Guard Drawing His Sword

Guard Drawing His Sword by After Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael Italian, 1483-1520, is a dramatic figural study executed sometime between 1600 and 1699. This drawing utilizes black chalk on tan laid paper, a medium conducive to capturing strong contrasts and defining anatomy. The sheet has been carefully preserved by edge mounting it onto buff laid paper.

The work, created in Italy during the nascent Baroque era, demonstrates the lasting influence of Raphael’s High Renaissance ideals on subsequent generations of artists. The focus is solely on the single, powerful figure, captured mid-action as he strains to pull a heavy sword from its scabbard. The artist employs the dark, rich texture of the black chalk to emphasize the torsion of the body and the muscular tension required for the demanding physical act, lending the figure a sense of palpable immediacy.

The designation "After Raphael" suggests this drawing served as a preparatory study, a faithful copy, or a workshop exercise derived from a design or lost composition by the great master of Urbino. Copying the works of established masters was a fundamental component of artistic training throughout 17th-century Italy, allowing apprentices to internalize classical proportion, structure, and dynamic pose directly. Today, the study is maintained in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a historical document of the transmission of High Renaissance style. As a highly valued piece of cultural heritage, the drawing may inform future scholarly research and is sometimes available for high-quality prints through public domain initiatives.