A saint holding a crucifix, an angel at right approaching with a papal tiara
ca. 1850–90
Medium
Pen and ink, gray wash, over red chalk; framing line in pen and gray ink
Dimensions
sheet: 4 5/16 x 2 3/4 in. (10.9 x 7 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Herbert Mitchell, 2008
Accession Number
2018.839.131
Art Historical Context
This delicate 19th-century Italian drawing captures a poignant religious moment: a saint clasps a crucifix in solemn devotion, while an angel approaches from the right bearing a papal tiara,izing divine election to the papacy. Likely a study for a larger devotional painting or altarpiece, the anonymous artist's composition evokes the Counter-Reformation tradition of exalting saintly virtues and papal authority, themes resonant in Italy during the Risorgimento era (ca. 1850–90), when Catholic identity was fiercely asserted amid unification struggles. Executed on a modest sheet (4 5/16 x 2 3/4 ...