I was uplifted this week to have the opportunity of seeing some beautiful and delicate drawings of Raphael at the Ashmolean Museum. One of my favourite pictures of all is that of a joyful young Christ child sitting on his mother’s lap playing with his older cousin John. The scene is extraordinarily life like, showing Raphael’s masterful draftsmanship while depicting the young cousins playing together.

Steeped in humanity this particular drawing, “The Studiesof the Virgin Child with the Infant St John the Baptist”, c.1505, shows the figures interacting with deep feeling. Young John is almost coaching Jesus to come out and play. In a week where the church commemorates the martyrdom, by beheading, of St John on the orders of Herod, it was amazing to be transported back to John’s early years through this sketch and be challenged to think of his childhood relationship with Jesus. Raphael’s expressive gestures and movement in the detail of the infant Jesus’s hands made me think for the first time about how in the early days young Jesus and John would have played for hours at the feet of Mary and or Elizabeth. That they were like brothers - young boys growing up and exploring their world together.

The Co-curator of the exhibition, Ben Thomas, believes that Raphael is greater in his drawings than in his paintings and frescos for, “The focus in Raphael’s drawings is predominantly figural. His emphasis on the forms of the human body was motivated above all by the desire to communicate – to seek in the physical movement the greatest expression possible in order to achieve orchestrated effects that would intern incite emotion.” Described by some as a “once in a generation” opportunity, this exhibition is truly inspiring in shining new light on so many biblical characters. It is on until Sunday, so if you have a chance to see it I can’t recommend it more highly.  

Revd Charlotte Bannister - Parker

Associate Priest