Christ in Glory

Working from a live model, Raphael Sanzio used a range of techniques to draw this figure. Below the billowing drapery, he quickly sketched Christ's legs, but he subtly modeled the torso above in a fluid, painterly fashion, achieving this effect with a brush and wash. He drew the legs in first, and the lines of the figure remain visible underneath Christ's drapery. He defined the figure's monumental, round forms with economy, using black chalk to emphasize contours as well as to create rich chiaroscuro effects.