Head of Comity

Head of Comity, a meticulous drawing attributed to a hand working after Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael Italian (1483-1520), dates from the period 1745-1755. This chronology places the drawing firmly within the 18th century, illustrating the enduring and pervasive influence of the High Renaissance master during the subsequent Neoclassical revival in Italy. The practice of copying celebrated antique and Renaissance models, particularly those by Raphael, was a fundamental component of academic training for artists traveling or studying in Rome during this era.

The work is executed using red chalk on cream laid paper, a medium highly prized for its ability to convey volumetric form and delicate shadow through subtle variations in pressure. The drawing has subsequently been laid down onto cream wove paper, suggesting careful preservation measures were taken to stabilize the fragile support. While the drawing serves as a reproduction of an existing motif, the technical precision and skilled rendering of the figure’s expression attest to the competence of the 18th-century draftsman dedicated to studying the canon of Raphael.

This significant drawing is classified within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The continued study and global dissemination of such classical motifs are facilitated today by the wide availability of high-quality images and prints, often made possible when influential works enter the public domain. This piece offers valuable insight into the pedagogical methods of drawing and the profound reverence for Renaissance artistic ideals that defined the intellectual environment of mid-18th-century Italy.