The Raphael Cartoons

'Paul Preaching at Athens'

Raphael, 'Paul Preaching at Athens'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 343 cm x width 442 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912950
(Acts 17:16-34)

'Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him.; And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athen, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we area also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.'

Paul is depicted preaching to a group of councillors at the Areopagus (the seat of the judicial council) at Athens. Behind Paul are two figures paying him rapt attention: the bearded man is modelled on Janus Lascaris, the director of the new Greek academy in Rome, and the plump, clean-shaven man may have been modelled on Pope Leo X. As Leo was interested in the reform of preaching, and considered Paul the 'Prince of Preachers,' Raphael's depiction of him listening closely to Paul would have showed that he was following in Paul's footsteps. Leo had also recently set up a Greek academy in Rome, so the inclusion of the portrait of its director was not only appropriate to the scene's Athenian setting (Lascaris was Greek), but may have been a veiled compliment on Leo's promotion of classical scholarship.

The couple in the lower right-hand corner, who have been converted to Christianity by Paul's eloquence, do not appear to fit into the composition as a whole, in either position or scale. They were probably painted in by Raphael's follower Giulio Romano.

'The Sacrifice at Lystra'

Raphael, 'The Sacrifice at Lystra'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 347cm x width 532 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912949

(Acts 14:8-18)
'And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: the same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.'

Paul and Barnabas (standing at left) have just cured a lame man in the city of Lystra (now Hatunsaray, in modern Turkey). Because of this miraculous cure, the Lystrians mistake the two men for the gods Jupiter and Mercury and try to offer a sacrifice to them. Paul tears his garments in fury at this act of idolatry, while Barnabas pleads with the crowd to stop the sacrifice. A young man in the crowd responds to Paul's anger and Barnabas's entreaties, leaning toward the executioner to prevent him from slaughtering an ox.

Raphael has filled the scene with pagan motifs, such as the statue of Mercury in the background and the fantastic images on the altar in the foreground, to demonstrate that the people of Lystra are idolatrous. However, classical, pagan ideas and stories enjoyed a revival during the Renaissance and the view that they were inimical to Christianity was being challenged. At the time Raphael began designing the cartoons, Pope Leo had appointed him Commissioner of Antiquities, putting him in close and frequent contact with Rome's classical past.

'The Conversion of the Proconsul'

Raphael, 'The Conversion of the Proconsul'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 342 cm x width 446 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912948
(Acts 13:6-12)

'And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul (who is also called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.'

The sorcerer Elymas has just been struck blind by Paul because he tried to prevent Barnabas and Paul from converting the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus to Christianity. As a result, the proconsul comes to believe in the Lord. The text on the plinth below the proconsul outlines the resolution of the story; in translation, it reads 'Lucius Sergius Paulus, Proconsul of Asia, embraces the Christian faith through the preaching of Paul.' This scene, taken together with The Healing of the Lame Man, illustrates the different missions of Peter and Paul: Paul's mission is to convert the Gentiles, while Peter's mission is to convert the Jews.

Raphael and his assistants often worked out ideas for the design of the cartoons in small studies. One of the surviving studies for this cartoon indicates that he experimented with the facial expressions of the witnesses and with the distribution of light and shade before deciding on the composition we see today.

'The Death of Ananias'

Raphael, 'The Death of Ananias'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 342 cm x width 532 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912947

(Acts 5:1-5)
'But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.'

The apostles have persuaded some wealthy men to sell off their land and houses and donate the proceeds to the poor. One of the men, Ananias, has secretly kept back some of the proceeds from the sale of his property. Peter rebukes him for his greed and deceit, and the townspeople react in shock as Ananias falls down dead in front of them. At the left of the cartoon, Apostles give alms to the poor. At the far right, Ananias's wife, Sapphira, dressed in a rich green gown, counts her coins, oblivious to the events in front of her. She has also decided to keep back some of her wealth and within a few hours she, too, will be struck dead.

In this episode Peter punishes the Jews for disobedience. The miracle was also interpreted as the punishment for simony (embezzlement of funds from the Church), a serious problem throughout the Renaissance. Ironically, Pope Leo himself was accused of improperly diverting Church money for the commission of the tapestries.

'Christ's Charge to Peter'

Raphael, 'Christ's Charge to Peter'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 343 cm x width 532 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912945

(Matthew 16:18-19)
'And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'
(John 21:15-17)

'So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him, the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.'

From the fifth century the two events depicted here were sometimes conflated. At Caesarea Philippi, Christ addresses his disciples and says to Peter: 'I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' After the Resurrection he appears to seven of the disciples at the sea of Tiberias and charges Peter : 'Feed my sheep.' These two texts from the Gospels were the most important scriptural justifications of papal authority. They emphasize that Christ selected Peter as the foundation stone of the Church, and demonstrate his pre-eminence among the Apostles.

Here, Christ gestures with one hand towards the flock of sheep and with the other to the kneeling figure of Peter, at the head of the solid phalanx of Apostles. The focal point of this dramatic composition is Christ's pointing finger, which invests Peter with leadership of the Church.

'The Healing of the Lame Man'

Raphael, 'The Healing of the Lame Man'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 342 cm x width 536 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912946

(Acts 3:1-8)
'Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter saith, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.'

A crowd is gathered at the gate of the Temple in Jerusalem. At the centre stands Peter (bearded, in a blue and yellow robe), healing the lame man, while John the Evangelist (the youthful figure in a salmon-coloured robe) looks on. This act symbolises Peter's spiritual healing and conversion of the Jews. Taken together with The Conversion of the Proconsul, it illustrates the different missions of Peter and Paul; whereas Peter's mission is to convert the Jews, Paul's is to convert the Gentiles.

Raphael based the ornate, twisted columns on antique examples in St Peter's Basilica in Rome. At the time, they were thought to have come from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

'The Miraculous Draught of Fishes'

Raphael, 'The Miraculous Draught of Fishes'
1515-16
Bodycolour over charcoal underdrawing on paper, mounted on canvas
Height 319 cm x width 399 cm
On loan from HM Queen Elizabeth II; rcin 912944
(Luke 5:1-11)

'And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret. And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taking nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners unto Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.'

According to the Gospel of St. Luke, Christ chooses the poor fishermen Simon, Peter and Andrew as his first Apostles. They have been fishing unsuccessfully in the Sea of Galilee when Christ appears and tells Peter to let down his nets into deep water. They make a miraculous catch, so that their boats overflow with fish. In another boat James and John struggle to pull up a net with a huge catch, while their father Zebedee tries to keep the vessel steady. Peter recognizes Christ as a holy man and kneels before him in an attitude of prayer, while Andrew steps forward with his hands spread in amazement at the miracle. A consecutive chain of action runs across this balanced composition to culminate in the figure of Christ, who calmly raises his hand in blessing. On the distant shore the faithful gaze and point at the miraculous events.

The story refers to Peter's role as a 'fisher of men', who converts others to Christianity. It also demonstrates his humility as he kneels before Christ to confess his sinfulness. Since early Christian times the Church had been personified as a ship, and fish were traditional symbols for Christ and Christian piety. Here, they may also represent souls that have been saved (taken up in Peter's nets), in contrast to the discarded shellfish that are being picked over by the cranes in the foreground.

This is a very important episode in the history of the Church. Peter, the humble fisherman, was Christ's first apostle and he was, along with Paul, one of the founders of the Roman church. The popes were considered successors of Peter in his office as Christ's representative on earth. Leo was eager to emphasise the legitimacy of papal succession by including key episodes in the lives of Peter and Paul in the Sistine tapestries.