Lot 1362 Dα

The present gouache is presumably the work of a German artist, possibly from the circle of Anton Mozart in Augsburg. This depiction of David and Goliath is based on a figural group in Raphael's eponymous fresco in the Loggias, which was disseminated throughout the whole of Europe in engravings by Marcantonio Raimondi and Ugo da Carpi. For example, the German artist Daniel Hopfer (1470-1536) also painted a version of Raphael's fresco, apparently after Raimondi's engraving. He changed the details to suit the tastes of the time, dressing Goliath in a helm and armour, but he also amended the composition, adding a lance in the foreground and changing positions of the figures' legs. The author of this sheet has copied Hopfner's amendments and added his own: By trimming Raphael's original landscape format he has created more space for the foreground and landscape background.