Study for an Infant Christ; verso: Half-Length Figure of a Man c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Study for an Infant Christ," by the School of Raphael. It's a small drawing, about 4x3 inches, at the Harvard Art Museums. It's lightly sketched, but so full of life! What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It's a whisper of a drawing, isn't it? Like a fleeting thought captured on paper. To me, it's about the potential, the "Christ-ness" waiting to bloom within this chubby infant. Do you see how the artist focused on the face and hands? Editor: I noticed the hands. They seem almost… knowing. Curator: Exactly! It's as if the artist is hinting at the future, the weight of destiny held in those tiny palms. Maybe they knew what was waiting in the verso of the drawing. Editor: That's beautiful! I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks for pointing that out!