God Commanding Noah to Build the Ark

Marco Dente reproduced Raphael’s fresco from the Stanza d’Eliodoro of the Vatican in the same direction as his teacher, Marcantonio Raimondi. The two prints are nearly identical, though both differ significantly from the final painting. Indeed, the artists may have been working from the same workshop drawing. A later owner of this sheet emphasized the relationship to Marcantonio by drawing in an “M” monogram on the steps at the right that doesn’t belong. The number of variations on this composition suggests that demand for the subject matter was high, especially considering the restricted access to the original painting.