Vision of Saint Francis of Assisi at the Portiuncula (recto); Ornamental Design (verso)
Medium
Pen and brown ink over black chalk (recto), and pen and brown ink with brush and brown and gray wash (verso) on lunette-shaped ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Max: 26 × 16.5 cm (10 1/4 × 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
139134
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing from the circle of Allori, a prominent Florentine Mannerist artist of the late 16th century, captures a visionary moment in the life of Saint Francis Assisi on its recto side. Titled *Vision of Saint Francis of at the Portiun*, it depicts the saint at the humble chapel in the valley below Assisi, a pivotal site where he founded the Franciscan order and received divine pardons. Executed pen and brown ink over chalk on lunette-shaped laid paper, the work exemplifies preparatory sketches typical of Renaissance workshops, where underdrawings in chalk provided a fluid base for...