A study of the nude seated figure from the left-hand side of the vault of the church of S Luigi dei Francesi, Rome. His limbs are crossed, and he looks up to the right.

On the death of Pope Urban VIII in 1644, his nephew Cardinal Francesco Barberini had to go into exile in France. The influence of Cardinal Mazarin was instrumental in restoring the fortunes of the Barberini and allowing the return to Rome in 1653 of Francesco, who in gratitude commissioned Andrea Sacchi to fresco the vault of the French national church in Rome, San Luigi dei Francesi. Sacchi made a start on the frescoes, but illness overtook him and he handed responsibility for the scheme to his pupil Carlo Maratti. Cardinal Barberini’s interest in the project waned, work came to a halt, and the little that had been executed was replaced in the mid-eighteenth century by rich decorations and a fresco by Charles Joseph Natoire.

The design of the fresco was described by the contemporary biographer Giovanni Pietro Bellori. It was to consist of a central scene of St Louis of France in glory, flanked by two smaller scenes of his military triumphs; running above the cornice were to be figures of other celebrated French kings, flanked by trophies and captives. The whole scheme was to be decorated with friezes, herms, nudes and putti, in the manner of Annibale Carracci’s Galleria Farnese.

The Royal Collection has thirty one drawings connected with Sacchi's work on this project: RCIN 904861, 904870, 904871, 904884, 904906, 904922, 904924, 904925, 904927, 904933, 904937-904939, 904941, 904945-904947, 904950-904953, 904957, 904962-904969, 904971.