Raphael: The Drawings

The Ashmolean’s captivating summer show brings together 120 stunning works from international collections spanning the brief but brilliant career of this Renaissance genius.

Aged only 37 when he died, Raphael’s fame in drawing had a transformative effect on European art over centuries. This exciting exhibition focuses on his extraordinary creativity, and shows how exploration and experimentation shaped his breathtakingly accomplished drawings.

The Ashmolean’s unrivalled Raphaels are joined by superb works from the Albertina and loans from other international collections including the Louvre, the Uffizi and Her Majesty the Queen. Drawings include the exquisite Head of a Muse, which broke records when auctioned at Christies in 2009, as well as the sublime Heads and Hands of two Apostles, considered to be the finest drawing Raphael ever made.

Witness the expressive power of Raphael’s drawings and see how they still ‘speak’ to us today, almost 500 years after they were created.

Due to demand for tickets the exhibition will now also be open until 8pm on the following dates:

• Friday 30 June
• Friday 21 July
• Friday 28 August
• Saturday 2 September