Allegorical Figure of the City of Piacenza, for a Pendentive in the Chapel of Saint-Roch, Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris (recto); Studies for the Same Figure (verso)

Art Historical Context

In the heart of Paris's grand Church of Saint-Sulpice, the Chapel of Saint-Roch features ornate pendentives—those curved triangular spaces supporting a dome—adorned with allegorical figures. This 1821 preparatory drawing by French artist Alexandre Denis Abel de Pujol captures the Allegorical Figure of the City of Piacenza on the recto, likely personified as a noble woman symbolizing the Italian city's virtues and heritage. The verso reveals thoughtful studies refining her pose and drapery, showcasing Pujol's meticulous process for monumental church decoration during France's Restoration era. Crafted in graphite heightened with white on beige paper, the sheet measures about 12 by 9½ inches and is squared in graphite—a practical technique for transferring the design to full scale on the chapel wall. This method highlights Pujol's neoclassical roots, emphasizing idealized forms, balanced composition, and luminous modeling to evoke divine harmony. Such drawings were essential blueprints for large-scale frescoes or paintings, bridging studio sketch to sacred space. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired in 1984), this double-sided gem offers visitors a window into 19th-century artistic collaboration between paper and architecture, blending technical precision with allegorical poetry.