Fragment of a Tapestry Cartoon: Foot in a Buskin, Drapery, and a Plant
1500–1550
Medium
Brush, yellow, blue, green, brown, black and white gouache, over some black chalk
Dimensions
10-13/16 x 12-3/16 in. (27.5 x 30.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of John W. Lisle, in memory of his father, Joseph William Lisle, 1922
Accession Number
22.72.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate fragment of a tapestry cartoon by Raphael (1483–1520), a cornerstone of the High Renaissance, captures exquisite details—a foot clad in a classical buskin (the thick-soled boot of ancient Greek tragedians), flowing drapery, and a plant. Dated between 1500 and 1550, it likely emerged from Raphael's bustling Roman workshop, where he and his assistants prepared full-scale designs for luxurious tapestries destined for grand spaces like the Vatican. These cartoons were not mere sketches but vibrant blueprints, guiding weavers in Brussels to translate painterly visions into woven maste...