Raphael Cartoons

Cartoons in the sense of “designs for tapestries.”  The Miraculous Draught of Fishes.

St. Paul Preaching in Athens.

Christ’s Charge to Peter.

Loved this, from the Wikipedia page:

Raphael—whom Michelangelo greatly disliked—was highly conscious that his work would be seen beside the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which had been finished only two years before, and took great care perfecting his designs, which are among his largest and most complicated. Originally the set was intended to include 16 tapestries. Raphael was paid twice by Leo, in June 1515 and December 1516, the last payment apparently being upon completion of the work. Tapestries retained their Late Gothic prestige during the Renaissance. Most of the expense was in the manufacture: although the creation of the tapestries in Brussels cost 15,000 ducats, Raphael was paid only 1,000.

King Charles I of England, who had a pretty good eye for art, bought them while he was still a prince.

In Charles’ day these were stored in wooden boxes in the Banqueting House, Whitehall. They were one of the few items in the Royal Collection withheld from sale by Oliver Cromwell after Charles’ execution.

The first “cartoon”?

Cartoons and cartoons.