The Apotheosis of San Vitale
1781
Medium
pen and brown ink and black chalk with brown wash on laid paper
Dimensions
Overall: 26.5 x 22.4 cm (10 7/16 x 8 13/16 in.) support: 35 x 30.9 cm (13 3/4 x 12 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1981.28.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This delicate yet dynamic drawing captures the heavenly ascent of Saintis, a first-century and patron of Ravenna Created by Ubaldo Gandolfi in 1781, the scene the enduring Baroque tradition of dramatic religious imagery even as Neoclassical tastes were emerging in late-eighteenth-century Italy. Gandolfi, a leading member of Bologna’s prominent artistic family, often produced such studies to explore compositions for larger paintings or frescoes destined for churches. Executed in pen and brown ink with black chalk and delicate brown washes on laid paper, the work showcases the artist’s fluid ha...
About the Artist
Ubaldo Gandolfi · 1728–1781
Comment on works: Portraits, religious