Biblical Scene [verso]

Art Historical Context

Sebastiano Ricci, an Italian painter active in the late Baroque era, created this intimate graphite sketch on laid paper between 1720 and 1730. Known for his fluid compositions and vibrant religious scenes, Ricci often used such drawings to explore biblical narratives before translating them into large-scale paintings or frescoes. The work’s modest dimensions—roughly 11 by 7 inches—suggest it served as a private study rather than a finished piece. Because it appears on the verso of another drawing, the sketch offers a rare window into Ricci’s working method, with delicate lines capturing figu...

About the Artist

Sebastiano Ricci · 1659–1734

Sebastiano Ricci (1659–1734) was born in Belluno, in the Venetian Republic, and received his early training in Venice, where he was apprenticed at age twelve to the Milanese painter Federico Cervelli. Some accounts identify Sebastiano Mazzoni as his first master. A youthful scandal involving an unintended pregnancy and a charge of attempted poisoning led to imprisonment in 1678, from which he was ...