Dead Boy on a Dolphin

A marble sculpture entitled A Dead Boy on a Dolphin is attributed to Lorenzo Lorenzetto, who collaborated with Raphael’s studio.
The subject of the work was taken from a story by the Ancient Roman writer Aelian about a friendship between a boy and a dolphin. The animal accidentally wounded the boy fatally while they were playing. The dolphin carried the boy to shore and did not return to the sea, dying alongside its little companion.
This dramatic tale does not, however, disrupt the harmony of shapes that characterized the art of Raphael and his circle. The boy seems to be sleeping peacefully. The two figures are successfully arranged together and form an inseparable whole.