Design for an Aedicular Altar with St. Paul at the Left
mid-18th century
Medium
Graphite, gray wash, watercolor, and white gouache. Broad framing line in pen and black ink
Dimensions
sheet: 18 1/4 x 12 1/4 in. (46.4 x 31.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Bequest of W. Gedney Beatty, by exchange, 2008
Accession Number
2008.262
Tags
Art Historical Context
Johann Georg Dirr's *Design for an Aed Altar with St. Paul the Left* (mid-18th century is a captivating preparatory drawing that showcases the ornate ecclesiastical designs favored in Baroque and Rococo-era Bavaria. Dirr, prominent German sculptor and architect, specialized in sculptural ensembles for churches, blending architecture with figural sculpture to create dramatic altars. This sheet depicts an aedicular altar—a niche-framed structure evoking a miniature temple—positioning Saint Paul on the left likely as part of a larger devotional ensemble emphasizing apostolic themes in Catholic wo...