This drawing must be one of the most expensive ever to change hands, if it does in fact change hands. Aparently the culture minister has delayed its export in the hopes that a British buyer can be found to stump up the £29m that it fetched at auction.

Raphael has the reputation of being the Best Draughtsman of All Time, and but I’m not sure that I agree with that assessment. For a start, Rubens, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Leonardo, Durer, Tiepolo, and Veronese were all pretty damn good. However, this overpriced piece of paper with a young man’s head on it is beginning to win me over. Certainly it’s beautiful. It has the quintessential Raphaelite qualities of both drama and grace, but it isn’t too mannered, it’s anatomically correct and in proportion as far as I can tell, and the style shows a good deal of restraint. Maybe too much restraint. Certainly Rubens, Michelangelo or Rembrandt would have treated the subject with a bit more verve.