Portrait of a Young Man, 1515-17

Works previously believed to be by students now attributed to master

The Teylers Museum in Harlem in the Netherlands has revealed that it owns three more works by Raphael than had previously been thought, bringing its tally up to 12. The museum is preparing a major Raphael exhibition due to open on 28 September (until 6 January 2013), the first solo exhibition of the artist in the country. It will include a multimedia room where the artist’s techniques and methods will be explored.

The three drawings were initially attributed to Raphael’s pupils, who would usually work with him on large commissions (such as the Vatican’s “Raphael Rooms”, commissioned by Pope Julius II and subsequently by Leo X) but a lengthy study has concluded that they were painted exclusively by him.

Michiel Plomp, the head curator at the Teylers Museum, says that “drawings by Raphael and his school are a true minefield”, but that these three works have “distinct features that clearly reveal Raphael’s signature”. The works in question are two drawings in red chalk, Portrait of a Young Man, 1515-17, and Flying Putto with the Attributes of Vulcan, 1518, and a drawing in black chalk Joshua Addressing the Israelites at Shechem, 1516-18.

Joshua Addressing the Israelites at Shechem, 1516-18