A full-scale drawing, known as a cartoon, for the tapestry of The Miraculous Draft of Fishes, commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel. The cartoon shows two boats on the water. On the left Christ is seated, with the Apostles Peter and Andrew in astonishment before him. Their boat is full of fish. The second boat shows two fishermen hauling in their nets full of fish, while another steers the boat. In the foreground is a group of birds. In the distance on the right is the shore with crowds and buildings.
Caption from the Victoria and Albert Museum website:
The Raphael cartoons are designs for tapestries and were commissioned from Raphael by Pope Leo X (1513-21) in 1515. The tapestries were intended to hang in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, built by one of Leo's predecessors Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84). The Chapel was primarily intended for the use of the Pope and the Papal chapel, the body of clergy and Laity immediately surrounding him. The decoration of the chapel under Sixtus dealt largely with the theme of the Pope's authority. The tapestries continued this theme, illustrating scenes from the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul who were seen as the founders of the Christian Church, and the sources of the Pope's authority and power. They had in addition woven borders showing scenes from Leo's life, also designed by Raphael: the cartoons for these have not survived.
In this cartoon Christ tells Peter to cast his net into the water whereupon he and his fellow apostles make a miraculous catch. The story refers to Peter's role as "fisher of men", who converts others to Christianity. It also demonstrates his humility as he kneels before Christ to acknowledge His divinity, and confess his own sinfulness.
<nowiki>Mucizevi Balık Avı; Der wundersame Fischzug; The Miraculous Draft of Fishes; Pesca miracolosa; La pêche miraculeuse; The Miraculous Draught of Fishes; dipinto di Raffaello; রাফায়েল অঙ্কিত চিত্র; peinture de Raphaël; pintura de Raffaello Sanzio; quadre de Raffaello Sanzio; Gemälde von Raphael, Karton Wandteppich; pintura de Rafael Sanzio; painting by Raphael; maleri af Raffaello Santi; pictură de Rafael; Raffaello tablosu (Victoria ve Albert Müz., Londra); Raffaello Sanzio festménye; målning av Rafael; måleri av Rafael; pintura de Raffaello Sanzio; schilderij van Rafaël Santi; maleri av Rafael; pikturo da Raffaello Sanzio; painting by Raphael; cuadro de Rafael Sanzio; pintura de Rafael; pentraĵo de Rafaelo; obraz Rafael Santi; pintura di Raphael</nowiki>