Studies on the Virgin Mary, ca. 1686
Red chalk, black chalk on blue paper, hightened with white chalk
Sheet dimensions27,4 × 41,5 cm
About the workAt the centre of this sketch is a naked male figure with outstretched arms, drawn from a nude model by Carlo Maratta, a painter who worked in Rome. The detailed studies of the upturned hands on the left and right in red chalk demonstrate that capturing the exact position of the fingers was important to the artist. This is part of the preparatory work for a depiction of the Virgin Mary on one of Maratta’s altarpieces, which can still be seen today in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome.
AccessionCollection of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Provenance[…]; seit 1932 Dauerleihgabe der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Inventory numberKA (FP) 1318
