Design for the high altar of the Gesù Nuovo, Naples
1700–1773
Medium
Graphite over compass and ruled construction lines in graphite
Dimensions
20-1/16 x 14-7/16 in. (50.9 x 36.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Donald Oenslager, 1965
Accession Number
65.536.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite preparatory drawing by Luigi Vanvitelli (1700–1773) captures the architect's vision for the high altar of the Gesù Nuovo, one of Naples' most iconic Baroque churches. Vanvitelli, a leading figure in 18th-century Italian architecture bridged Baroque opulence and emerging Neoclassical restraint. Trained under his father, Cosimo Fanzago, he brought precision and grandeur to ecclesiastical designs, reflecting the Catholic Church's enduring emphasis on awe-inspiring sacred spaces amid the Counter-Reformation's legacy. Rendered in graphite over meticulously ruled construction lines a...
About the Artist
Luigi Vanvitelli · 1700–1773
Born 12 May 1700; died 1 March 1773. Famous for his design for the Royal Palace at Caserta, built 1751. Vanvitelli was active in Rome, Naples and nearby towns, also Brescia, Milan and Genoa. Comment on works: Portraits