Joshua Halting the Sun and Moon

The drawing Joshua Halting the Sun and Moon attributes its subject and design to After Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael, and workshop Italian, 1483-1520. Executed sometime between 1600 and 1799, this piece functions as an important example of the continuous study and appropriation of high Renaissance compositions by later Italian artists. The work utilizes precise draughtsmanship, rendered in pen and brown ink upon tan laid paper, which was subsequently laid down onto a secondary support of ivory laid paper for stability and preservation. This complex layering is typical of drawings that served as models or copies intended for long-term reference.

The subject illustrates the dramatic Biblical moment from the Book of Joshua (10:12-13) where the military leader petitions God to prolong daylight, allowing the Israelite army sufficient time to defeat their Amorite enemies. The forceful composition replicates an established artistic model associated with 1483-1520, whose monumental and heroic style deeply influenced subsequent generations of European artists throughout the Baroque and Rococo periods. Drawings such as this were essential for students and collectors in Italy seeking to disseminate and scrutinize the works of the great Renaissance masters, ensuring their enduring legacy.

Classified within the Drawing category, this piece emphasizes powerful linearity and movement, characteristics central to the original design. While the drawing itself resides in the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, high-resolution reproductions and related study prints derived from the master’s compositions are frequently made available in the public domain, allowing researchers and the public broader access to the compositional tradition established by 1483-1520 and his workshop.