Study of a Kneeling Saint
1570/75
Medium
Black chalk on cream laid paper
Dimensions
42.1 × 27.4 cm (16 5/8 × 10 13/16 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
202159
Art Historical Context
Orazio Samacchini’s *Study of a Kneeling Saint* captures a quiet moment of devotion through the fluid lines of black chalk on cream laid paper. Created between 1570 and 1575, this drawing exemplifies the working methods of sixteenth-century Italian artists, who frequently produced detailed figure studies before committing to larger paintings or frescoes. The artist’s careful attention to the saint’s posture, drapery folds, and gesture reveals his interest in conveying both spiritual humility and physical presence. Measuring just over sixteen inches tall, the sheet demonstrates the expressive ...