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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Raphael, Room 48a, The Raphael Cartoons

The Death of Ananias (Acts 5: 1-5)

Tapestry Cartoon
about 1515-1516 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Death of Ananias (Acts 5: 1-5)

The Raphael Cartoons are designs for tapestries and were commissioned from Raphael by Pope Leo X (reg. 1513-21) shortly after his election in 1513. The tapestries were intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, built by one of Leo's predecessors Pope Sixtus IV (reg. 1471-84). The Chapel was primarily intended for the use of the Pope and the body of clergy and Laity immediately surrounding him. The decoration of the chapel under Sixtus addressed the lives of Moses and Christ. The tapestries continued this theme, illustrating scenes from the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul who were seen as the founders of the Christian Church, and reinforcing the legitimity of the Pope's authority and power. The resulting tapestries had in addition woven borders showing scenes from Leo's life and from the lives of Saint Paul, also designed by Raphael: the cartoons for these have not survived.

In this Cartoon, the apostles have persuaded some men of property to sell their land or houses, so that the proceeds can be distributed to the poor. Ananias secretly keeps back some of the proceeds from his land. Rebuked by Peter for his deceitfulness, Ananias falls down dead.

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interact The Raphael Cartoons: The Death of Ananias The Raphael Cartoons are considered one of the greatest treasures of the Renaissance. These huge, full-scale designs for tapestries were created by Raphael – one of the most important masters of the Renaissance period. Commissioned by Pope Leo X, shortly after his election in 1513, for the...
read The story of the Raphael Cartoons The Raphael Cartoons are considered one of the greatest treasures of the Renaissance in the UK. These huge, full-scale designs for tapestries were created by Raphael – one of the most important masters of the Renaissance period. Commissioned by Pope Leo X, shortly after his election in 151...
interact Explore the Raphael Cartoons The Raphael Cartoons are a set of seven full-scale designs for a series of tapestries created by Raphael and are considered one of the greatest treasures of the Renaissance.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Death of Ananias (Acts 5: 1-5)
Materials and techniques
Bodycolour (glue tempera) on paper mounted on canvas in the late 17th century
Brief description
Raphael Cartoon The Death of Ananias (Acts 5: 1-5)
Physical description
Cartoon for a tapestry
Dimensions
  • Height: 343cm (Note: Frames have not been measured)
  • Width: 530cm
Credit line
Lent by His Majesty The King
Object history
Acquired by the Prince of Wales, future King Charles I in 1623
Summary
The Death of Ananias (Acts 5: 1-5)

The Raphael Cartoons are designs for tapestries and were commissioned from Raphael by Pope Leo X (reg. 1513-21) shortly after his election in 1513. The tapestries were intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, built by one of Leo's predecessors Pope Sixtus IV (reg. 1471-84). The Chapel was primarily intended for the use of the Pope and the body of clergy and Laity immediately surrounding him. The decoration of the chapel under Sixtus addressed the lives of Moses and Christ. The tapestries continued this theme, illustrating scenes from the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul who were seen as the founders of the Christian Church, and reinforcing the legitimity of the Pope's authority and power. The resulting tapestries had in addition woven borders showing scenes from Leo's life and from the lives of Saint Paul, also designed by Raphael: the cartoons for these have not survived.

In this Cartoon, the apostles have persuaded some men of property to sell their land or houses, so that the proceeds can be distributed to the poor. Ananias secretly keeps back some of the proceeds from his land. Rebuked by Peter for his deceitfulness, Ananias falls down dead.

Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Visit the Royal Collection Trust’s website for more information at www.rct.uk/collection
  • John Shearman, Raphael's Cartoons in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen and the Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel, London, 1972.
  • Sharon Fermor, The Raphael Tapestry Cartoons, London, 1996.
  • M. Evans, C. Browne and A. Nesselrath ed., Raphael. Cartoons and Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel, London, 2010.
  • A. Debenedetti ed. et al., The Raphael Cartoons, London, 2020.
  • A.M. De Strobel and A. Nesselrath ed. et al., Leone X and Raphael in the Sistine Chapel, 2 vols., Vatican City, 2020.
Collection
Accession number
ROYAL LOANS.5

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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