Holy Family and Saint John the Baptist
1700-1799
Medium
Brush and brown and gray wash over traces of graphite, on ivory laid paper, laid down on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
18.9 × 13.4 cm (7 1/2 × 5 5/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85288
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Antonio Burrini’s “Holy Family and Saint John the Baptist” presents a quiet, intimate scene from Christian tradition on a modest sheet of ivory laid paper. Measuring just 18.9 by 13.4 centimeters, the drawing was made with brush and brown and gray wash over faint graphite lines, a technique that lets the artist build soft transitions of light and shadow. The paper itself has been carefully laid down on a second sheet, a common practice that helps preserve delicate works on paper for future generations. Wash drawings like this one were valued in the eighteenth century for their abilit...