Raphael Cartoons
Print
before 1746 (engraved), 19th century (published)
before 1746 (engraved), 19th century (published)
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The so-called Raphael Cartoons are seven full size designs for tapestries by the great Italian Renaissance artist Raphael (1483-1520). They illustrate passages from the Bible concerning the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. None of them is smaller than ten feet high by thirteen feet wide. They belong to Her Majesty the Queen and have been on loan to this museum since 1865. The earliest print relating to the Raphael Cartoons dates from 1516, the year in which Raphael received final payment for the commission. It inaugurates an extraordinary case study in the history of printmaking, stretching over more than four hundred and fifty years and across a wide range of printmaking techniques.
Object details
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| Materials and techniques | etching and engraving on paper |
| Brief description | Etching and engraving by Claude du Bosc, after a cartoon by Raphael, published by W. Tegg; St Paul Preaching at Athens; published in London. |
| Physical description | Saint Paul stands on steps in front of a building, left, preaching to a crowd. Behind is a townscape and two buildings, one rotund with marble columns and statues in niches, the other square with arches. There is a statue of Mars just behind the listening crowd. This print is in the same direction as the cartoon from which it is derived but faithfully reproduces the compositional details of the original. |
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| Literary reference | Bible, Acts, 18 |
| Summary | The so-called Raphael Cartoons are seven full size designs for tapestries by the great Italian Renaissance artist Raphael (1483-1520). They illustrate passages from the Bible concerning the lives of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. None of them is smaller than ten feet high by thirteen feet wide. They belong to Her Majesty the Queen and have been on loan to this museum since 1865. The earliest print relating to the Raphael Cartoons dates from 1516, the year in which Raphael received final payment for the commission. It inaugurates an extraordinary case study in the history of printmaking, stretching over more than four hundred and fifty years and across a wide range of printmaking techniques. |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.860G-1888 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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