Composizioni 'minime' tra Raffaello e i suoi incisori

Abstract The essay takes into account a group of prints based on drawings and inventions by Raphael whose subject are one or two figures collocated in a delimited and intimate setting; minimal compositions linked to the Raphaelesque invenit of which, in some cases, the preparatory drawings still survive. They are renowned works, mostly dated in the space of few determined years, realized by Marcantonio Raimondi or by other engravers active in Sanzio’s entourage, here examined for the first time in a global view. The accurate analysis of such materials and their connections confirm the paramount role of both the Antico and Michelangelo’s painting oeuvre in the research developed by Raphael once he arrived in Rome. Interesting results and new research insights emerge from this cross-comparison.