Standing Man, Pointing with Right Hand

The drawing Standing Man, Pointing with Right Hand is attributed to a follower working After Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael Italian, 1483-1520, and dates from the 18th century (1700-1799). This figural study is executed entirely in red chalk on ivory laid paper, a medium widely favored in Italian academies for its ability to capture the richness of flesh tones and the immediacy of posture. The finished sheet is further stabilized by being tipped onto tan laid paper, reflecting standard conservation practices of the period.

Created decades after Raphael’s death, the work exemplifies the enduring reverence for High Renaissance ideals in 18th-century Italy. Drawings such as this served as crucial educational tools throughout the peninsula, enabling students to meticulously study the compositional strategies and figure work established by Renaissance masters. The specific, dynamic pose of the standing man gesturing emphatically with his right hand suggests this might have been a preliminary modello or a detailed reference study for a specific figure within a larger narrative painting or fresco cycle, maintaining the original master’s classical proportions.

As a work dedicated to the rigorous study of human form and gesture, this piece holds significant value for understanding the continuity of classical artistic training. This important study of Italian culture is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it contributes to the museum’s extensive holdings of historical draftsmen. Today, digital documentation ensures that high-quality prints of this kind of academic drawing remain accessible to scholars worldwide.