Faith

Raphael painted this personification of Faith around 1507, now at the Pinacoteca Vaticana, as a predella panel for the Baglioni Altarpiece from Perugia. The theological virtues — Faith, Hope, Charity — appeared together in predella programs as moral complements to the altarpiece's central devotional narrative. By 1507 Raphael had absorbed the lessons of his Florentine years and was developing the monumental figure style he would deploy in Rome. Faith, typically shown with a chalice or cross as attributes of Christian belief, allowed Raphael to demonstrate his mastery of the idealized female figure type he was perfecting. The Vatican provenance reflects the papal collection's systematic reacquisition of works associated with major Roman commissions.

Oil on panel with Raphael's characteristic balance of form, luminous coloring, and compositional harmony. The work demonstrates the artistic qualities characteristic of Raphael's mature period.