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Raphael Cartoons

Print
before 1755 (engraved), 19th century (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This print depicts the scene of Christ's Charge to Peter, combining text from two books of the bible, Matthew and John. According to Matthew, Christ asks Peter to care for his sheep and gives Peter the keys to his kingdom of Heaven, representing Peter's role of responsibility in the church and towards the faithful. The lake on the left is a visual continuation from the tapestry adjacent to it, the Miraculous Draught of Fishes.

This print is in the same orientation as the cartoon from which it is derived. 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

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Raphael Cartoons (generic title)
  • Christ's Charge to Peter (popular title)
Materials and techniques
etching and engraving on paper
Brief description
Etching and engraving by François Bernard Lépicié, after a cartoon by Raphael, published by W. Tegg; Christ's Charge to Peter; published in London.
Physical description
The scene is set in a hilly landscape setting with a town and trees in the background. Christ is on the left and the Apostles stand to his right. Saint Peter holds a key and kneels in front of the group, just to the right of Christ. On the right is a lake, in which a boat is moored.

This print is in the same direction as the cartoon from which it is derived and is faithful in compositional detail.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 48.3cm
  • Sheet width: 58.4cm
  • Platemark height: 35.7cm
  • Platemark width: 52cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • B. LÉPICIÉ, SCULP. (Lower right)
  • RAPHAEL URBIN, PUNX. (Lower left)
  • LONDON: PUBLISHED BY W. TEGG, PANCRAS LANE. (Centre)
  • CHRIST'S CHARGE TO PETER. (Centre, outline capitals)
  • Printed by T. Booker. (Lower right)
Subjects depicted
Literary references
  • Bible, John, 21, 15-17
  • Bible, Matthew, 16, 17-19
Summary
This print depicts the scene of Christ's Charge to Peter, combining text from two books of the bible, Matthew and John. According to Matthew, Christ asks Peter to care for his sheep and gives Peter the keys to his kingdom of Heaven, representing Peter's role of responsibility in the church and towards the faithful. The lake on the left is a visual continuation from the tapestry adjacent to it, the Miraculous Draught of Fishes.

This print is in the same orientation as the cartoon from which it is derived. 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.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Shearman, John. Raphael's Cartoons in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen and the tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. London, Phaidon, 1972.
  • Fermor, Sharon. The Raphael Tapestry Cartoons: Narrative, Decoration, Design. London, Scala Books in association with the Victoria and Albery Museum.
  • Vol. II, p. 537 Le Blanc, Charles. Manuel de l'Amateur d'Estampes. Paris, 1854-6.
Collection
Accession number
E.860B-1888

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
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