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Primary sourcePainting1509

Study of a Seated Nude for The Disputation

Raphael · 1509

A preparatory drawing by Raphael of a nude seated figure, made for his Disputation fresco in the Vatican.

This is Raphael's own preparatory drawing for his Disputation fresco, showing his working method firsthand.

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Pencil or charcoal drawing on pale paper of a seated nude male figure leaning back, head tilted up, with arms wrapped around one raised knee and a bare foot at lower right. Hatching shades the torso and legs.
Raphael, Study of a Seated Nude for The Disputation, 1509. Uffizi, Florence.

About this source

What it is

This is a drawing in charcoal and chalk, highlighted in white, made by Raphael in 1509. It is a study for a seated figure, identified as Adam, in his fresco The Disputation, and it is kept today in the Uffizi's collection of drawings and prints in Florence.

Why it matters

The sheet shows Raphael working out the pose and anatomy of a figure before painting the final fresco. Studies like this let historians see how Raphael planned his compositions, studying the human body carefully before placing it into a larger religious scene.

Look closer

  • Why would an artist draw a nude study for a figure that would appear clothed or draped in the finished fresco?
  • What does the shading and hatching tell you about how Raphael built up form?
  • What is missing from this drawing that would appear in the finished fresco?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Raphael on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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