Crucifixion with Saints
n.d.
Medium
Black chalk, with brush and brown wash, on lunette-shaped blue laid paper (discolored to grayish-green), squared in graphite, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions
27.5 × 18.5 cm (10 7/8 × 7 5/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85795
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings collection, *Crucifixion with* is a poignant anonymous drawing that captures a timeless Christian motif: Christ's crucifixion flanked by revered saints likely including figures like the Mary and St. John Evangelist. Created by an unknown artist on a lunette-shaped sheet of blue laid paper— discolored to a subtle grayish-green—this work evokes the dramatic religious art of Renaissance or Baroque Europe, where such scenes adorned altarpieces, frescoes, or architectural niches. The medium shines through masterful techniques: black chalk d...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...