The Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant John the Baptist

The drawing The Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and the Infant John the Baptist is an 18th-century Italian study created after the celebrated High Renaissance master, Raffaello Sanzio, called Raphael Italian, 1483-1520. This preparatory sheet or academic copy, dating between 1700 and 1799, reflects the enduring influence of Raphael’s compositional structure and idealized forms centuries after their initial conception.

The artist executed the work primarily in charcoal, utilizing the technique of stumping to achieve delicate gradations of tone and subtle volumetric shaping, particularly in the rendering of the figures' flesh and drapery. The original cream laid paper has discolored over time to a tan hue, and the sheet is currently preserved by being tipped onto a secondary support of tan wove paper. This meticulous drawing demonstrates the academic rigor common among copyists and students of classical art in 18th-century Italy, where mastery of disegno was paramount.

The composition depicts the popular religious subject of the Holy Family interacting with the young Saint John the Baptist and his mother, Saint Elizabeth. As a study, this piece served as a vital tool for artists learning composition, light, and draftsmanship by analyzing the subtleties of Raphael’s technique. The tradition of copying masterpieces ensured their widespread influence across Europe, allowing modern art historians to trace the evolution of iconographic themes. This important drawing resides in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. The detailed study of works by Raphael ensured that his idealized aesthetic remained central to the European artistic tradition, making many of these studies and the subsequent prints derived from them valuable public domain resources for scholars today.