Saint John the Baptist
c. 1748
Medium
Pen and black ink and brush and blue-gray wash, on gray laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions
27.6 × 18.5 cm (10 7/8 × 7 5/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
96155
Art Historical Context
Ercole Graziani the Younger created this delicate drawing of Saint John the Baptist around 1748, capturing the saint in a moment of quiet reflection. As a prominent Bolognese artist of the eighteenth century, Graziani often explored religious subjects with a refined sensibility that appealed to both church patrons and private collectors of his day. The work showcases the expressive possibilities of pen and black ink combined with blue-gray wash on gray laid paper. This technique allows for fluid lines and subtle tonal modeling, giving the figure a sense of volume and movement within a compact...