The Ascension of Saint Benedict; verso: Ornamental sketches
late 17th–early 18th century
Medium
Pen and black ink, gray wash, red chalk; construction lines in black chalk; verso: pen and black ink
Dimensions
sheet: 7 9/16 x 4 5/16 in. (19.2 x 11 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Robert Gordon Gift, 2008
Accession Number
2008.499a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 17th to early 18th century, Bavarian artist Hans Georg As created *The Ascension of Saint Benedict a dynamic preparatory drawing that captures the saint's heavenly ascent amid swirling angels. Asam, part of the renowned Asam family of Baroque decorators, specialized in illusionistic frescoes and stucco work for South German churches, and this sheet reflects his skill in rendering dramatic religious visions. Saint Benedict, founder of Western monasticism, rises triumphantly, evoking the Counter-Reformation's emphasis on spiritual ecstasy and divine intervention. Executed in pen and...