Head of Pythagoras

The drawing Head of Pythagoras is an 18th-century Italian work executed after the celebrated original design by Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael (Italian, 1483-1520). Classified as a drawing, this preparatory study reflects the enduring pedagogical importance and cultural influence of the High Renaissance master during the subsequent century. The subject, the famed classical Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras, is directly derived from one of the figures depicted in Raphael’s monumental Vatican fresco, The School of Athens (c. 1509–1511).

This refined study showcases a complex and highly skillful medium, combining black and red chalk to meticulously define contours, shading, and the texture of the subject’s distinctive beard. The artist employed stumping, the technique of blending chalk pigment to create soft atmospheric effects and subtle gradations, resulting in powerful three-dimensional modeling. The application of these materials on blue laid paper provides a cool mid-tone ground against which the highlights, added with precise strokes of white chalk, heighten the sense of volume and dramatic presence.

As an 18th-century creation, this piece demonstrates the common practice in Italy of copying established masterpieces, enabling artists to master classical composition and form. Studies such as this often served both as instructional materials for young draftsmen and as a means of circulating revered compositions before they entered the public domain. This particular drawing is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering valuable insight into the continuous reverence for Raphael’s work and the historical processes through which Renaissance prints and motifs were preserved and adapted into the modern era.