The Influence of Raphael's Patrons

The Agony in the Garden was commissioned for the nuns of the Sant’Antonio da Padova convent. These nuns were conservative, which ultimately influenced what Raphael was able to depict, as he was compelled to please his commissioners.

For example, the nuns believed it would have been improper to have a nude depiction of Christ even as a baby, so Raphael was required to clothe him in the larger Colonna Altarpiece.

These conservative elements can also be seen in the smaller The Agony in the Garden. For example, the angel in the image was originally hypothesized to have been added after the painting was finished, based on Raphael's preparatory sketches. This makes the angel appear tacked on as an afterthought. X-rays on the painting confirmed this to be true.

The MET Online explains that the angel was added in order to implement more traditional iconography on the painting which would have appealed to nuns with conservative sensibilities.