Resurrection n.d.

This drawing of the Resurrection was made around 1516 in Raphael's workshop, using pen and brown ink, with brown wash and white heightening, over traces of black chalk, on two sheets of paper. Consider for a moment that this isn't the final work, but rather a preparatory cartoon – a means to an end. Its purpose would have been to transfer the design onto a panel for painting. The network of fine lines and the subtle gradations of tone, achieved with the brown wash, are evidence of the skilled labor involved. Look closely, and you can see the perforations tracing the figures; these would have been used to pounce charcoal dust, transferring the design. While Raphael was the master of the workshop, dictating the composition and overall design, it was the hands of his assistants that executed much of the actual production. This division of labor, a precursor to industrial methods, allowed Raphael to manage a large workshop and fulfil numerous commissions. It shows how the concept of authorship itself can be more complicated than simply assigning it to one name.