A Baldachin with a Painting of the Annunciation

c. 1708 or later

Circle of Andrea Pozzo

Associated Names
Andrea Pozzo

Artist, Italian, 1642 - 1709

The image displays a complex arrangement of swirling lines and ornate shapes that form a series of arches and columns. In this abstract sketch, the curving lines and elaborate details resemble the grandeur of a classical architectural structure, with elements that evoke the image of a grandiose altar or stage. Figures positioned on and around the curves represent human forms, suggesting a historical and artistic scene. Flanking the central archway, there are figures that remind one of statues typically found adorning the facades of cathedrals or the interiors of grand opera houses, infusing the composition with movement and stability.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and brown ink over graphite on two jointed sheets of laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Joseph F. McCrindle Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 41.4 x 21.2 cm (16 5/16 x 8 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2009.70.194

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Joseph F. McCrindle [1923-2008], New York; Joseph F. McCrindle Foundation, 2008; gift to NGA, 2009.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2012

  • The McCrindle Gift: A Distinguished Collection of Drawings and Watercolors. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2012, 82-83, no. 30 (entry by Andrew Robison).

Inscriptions

by artist, upper left in graphite (barely visible): --- un angelo si vol[?]; by artist, upper left in the same brown ink as the drawing: per ordine composito; by artist, upper right in the same ink: una croce / ligna; and below that: il padre eterno / sta nel mezzo / del arco; by artist, lower right in the same ink: invention del fra A Pozzo / fatto a Vienna

Wikidata ID

Q64540036

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