Artwork
An Angel
An Angel is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Daniele Crespi. It dates from 1620 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
An Angel is a drawing created by Daniele Crespi around 1620. It is executed in brush and brown ink, heightened with white, on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a solitary figure enveloped in flowing drapery, with arms crossed over a cloth. The face is subtly averted, framed by soft curls. The figure's pose and attire evoke a sense of serenity and contemplation.
Technique & Style
Crespi employed loose, expressive lines and a chiaroscuro effect, achieved through the use of brown ink and white highlights, to imbue the figure with a three-dimensional quality. This technique was characteristic of sketches from the 1600s that were intended to appear as finished works.
Context
Crespi's work, including An Angel, reflects his transition from Lombard Mannerism to an early Baroque style, marked by clarity and directness. This shift was part of a broader evolution in Milanese art during the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniele Crespi (1598 – 19 July 1630) was an Italian painter and draughtsman. He is regarded as one of the most original artists working in Milan in the 1620s. He broke away from the exaggerated manner of Lombard…
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