Kneeling Virgin (Virgin Annunciate) (recto); Writing (verso)
Medium
Black chalk (recto). On off-white paper. Writing in black chalk by artist (verso)
Dimensions
5-1/4 x 3-1/4 in. (13.3 x 8.3 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William B. Jaffe, 1956
Accession Number
56.235.49
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate black chalk drawing, created by an anonymous artist of the Seville school in 17th-century Spain, captures the Virgin Mary in a moment of quiet reverence as she kneels in the Annunciation. During this period, Seville flourished as a vibrant center of Spanish Baroque art, where religious imagery served both devotional and didactic purposes amid the Counter-Reformation. Artists in this circle often produced intimate preparatory sketches like this one to explore compositions for larger paintings destined for churches and private chapels. Measuring just over five inches tall, the wor...