Virgin and Child with Angel
Medium
Black chalk, with red chalk, heightened with lead white (partially oxidized), on tan laid paper laid down on ivory laid card
Dimensions
16.9 × 15 cm (6 11/16 × 5 15/16 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81596
Art Historical Context
Sebastiano del Piombo’s “Virgin and Child with Angel” presents a tender religious scene rendered with remarkable sensitivity on a small sheet of paper. Created by the Venetian-born artist who later worked extensively in Rome, the drawing reflects the High Renaissance interest in human warmth within sacred subjects. Though undated, it belongs to a tradition in which artists explored devotional themes through intimate studies rather than finished paintings. The work’s medium—black chalk combined with red chalk and highlights of lead white—demonstrates del Piombo’s mastery of tonal modeling. The...