Design for an Altar
1501 to 1550
Medium
pen and brown ink with brown wash and white heightening over black chalk
Dimensions
Overall: 41.7 x 29.8 cm (16 7/16 x 11 3/4 in.) support: 28 x 16 cm (11 x 6 5/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Julius S. Held Collection
Accession Number
1985.1.52
Art Historical Context
Francesco Salviati, an Italian artist active during the height of the Mannerist period, created this preparatory drawing as a design for an altar between 1501 and 1550. Working in Florence and Rome, Salviati was renowned for his elegant, elongated figures and sophisticated decorative schemes that adorned churches and palaces across Italy. Altar designs like this one played a vital role in the Catholic Church’s artistic patronage, helping patrons visualize complex religious compositions before they were executed in paint or marble. The drawing’s medium—pen and brown ink with brown wash and whi...