Madonna and Child with Saint John
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, over black chalk, on cream laid paper
Dimensions
22.4 × 16.3 cm (8 7/8 × 6 7/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82538
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings collection, *Madonna and Child with John* by Fortunato Duranti a delicate pen and brown ink drawing, enhanced with brush and brown wash black chalk on cream laid paper. Measuring just 22.4 × 16.3 cm, this intimate work exemplifies the preparatory sketches favored by artists of the early modern period, allowing for fluid exploration of form and composition before committing to larger paintings or frescoes. The subject—a tender depiction of the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child alongside the young Saint John the Baptist—draws from a ...
About the Artist
Fortunato Duranti · 1787–1863
Italian, 1787–1863