Saint Lucy and a Saint (recto); Alexander the Great in Profile (verso)
1500/12
Medium
Pen and brown ink over graphite (recto) and brush and brown ink and wash over graphite (verso) on cream laid paper prepared with salmon wash
Dimensions
23.4 × 27.9 cm (9 1/4 × 11 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
112809
Art Historical Context
In the early 16th century,entine artist Agnolo delziere (also known Agnolo di Donn) created this exquisite double-sided drawing, dated around 1500–1512. On the recto, delicate pen and brown ink lines over graphite depict Saint Lucy, the patron saint of eyesight, alongside another saint, their serene expressions and flowing drapery evoking the devotional art of Renaissance Italy. Flipping to the verso reveals Alexander the Great in profile, rendered in brush and brown ink with wash over graphite—a classical hero whose image bridged antiquity and contemporary humanism. Crafted on cream laid pap...