Saint John the Evangelist (?)
before 1755
Medium
Pen and dark brown ink
Dimensions
14 15/16 x 10 5/8 in. (38 x 27 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.324
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite drawing, tentatively titled *Saint John the Evangelist is a collaborative work attributed to Venetian artists Pietro Antonio Novelli (17291804) and Francesco Fontebasso (1707–1769), created before 1755.ed in pen and dark brown ink on sheet measuring 14 15/16 x 10 5/8 inches (38 x 27 cm), it the saint—likely the beloved apostle and Gospel author—in a moment of contemplation or inspiration, a common motif in religious art evoking his divine visions and eagle symbol. Novelli and Fontebasso, both prominent figures in 18th-century Venice's vibrant artistic scene, embodied the Rococo...
About the Artist
Pietro Antonio Novelli|Francesco Fontebasso · 1729–1804
**Pietro Antonio Novelli (1729–1804)** Pietro Antonio Novelli, a prolific Venetian painter, draughtsman, and engraver, trained under the esteemed Jacopo Amigoni and in the studio of Giambattista Pittoni, absorbing influences from Gaspare Diziani and Francesco Guardi. In 1768, he gained membership in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia with his reception piece, *Allegory of the Arts*. Early in ...