He enriched the art of painting with that entire perfection that the figures of Apelles and Zeusi had in ancient times: with these words Vasari consecrates Raphael to the apex of Renaissance art for inventiveness and naturalistic grace, equal to those of the ancients. The design was attributed to the early period, still marked by the influence of Perugino, his first true teacher, and shows a great executive refinement in the pieces of the head and hands. The sheet depicts a seated young man, dressed in the fashion of the time while playing the lute, probably a musician angel destined to be part of some sacred subject composition. It is undoubtedly a preparatory drawing even if the figure of the young man has not been associated with any pictorial work by Raphael. The artist from Urbino was one of the greatest and most prolific designers of the time: over 400 drawings of him survive and many others have been lost over the centuries.