Artwork
The Ascension of the Virgin

The Ascension of the Virgin is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Donato Creti. It dates from 1710 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Ascension of the Virgin is a drawing created by Donato Creti in 1710 using pen and brown and black ink on laid paper. It exemplifies the artist's distinctive style, characterized by a blend of neoclassical rigor and Rococo elements.
Technique & Style
The drawing features quick, uneven lines and varying ink densities, with darker areas achieved through layered strokes. Creti employed a technique of overlapping lines to build up shadows and shapes, creating depth without relying on color.
Subject & Meaning
The sketch depicts a group of figures ascending in a swirling, dynamic composition. The scene is likely a representation of the Assumption of the Virgin, a common subject in Christian art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Donato Creti (24 February 1671 – 31 January 1749) was an Italian painter of the Rococo period, active mostly in Bologna, Papal States.



![Magdalene Washing the Feet of Christ with Eight Disciples Looking On [recto], by Donato Creti](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/donato-creti--magdalene-washing-the-feet-of-christ-with-eight-disciples-lo--25318e941cc7fc91-w320.webp)
![The Adoration of the Magi [recto], by Donato Creti](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/donato-creti--the-adoration-of-the-magi-recto--2cfd5d76b55e821e-w320.webp)
![Penitent Magdalene with Angels in a Landscape [recto], by Donato Creti](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/donato-creti--penitent-magdalene-with-angels-in-a-landscape-recto--329b67c038e377df-w320.webp)

![Holy Family [recto], by Donato Creti](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/donato-creti--holy-family-recto--7e3a584f7b6c5852-w320.webp)



![Biblical Scene [verso], by Sebastiano Ricci](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/sebastiano-ricci--biblical-scene-verso--d33f1e2abb3d29f7-w320.webp)



![Figure Studies [recto], by Giovanni Battista Cipriani](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/giovanni-battista-cipriani--figure-studies-recto--32b47b1a71716a78-w320.webp)
![Studies of Figures [verso], by Anicet Charles Gabriel Lemonnier](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anicet-charles-gabriel-lemonnier--studies-of-figures-verso--2ae0ee2ea775e42c-w320.webp)

![Saint Matthew and Saint Jerome [verso], by Correggio](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/correggio--saint-matthew-and-saint-jerome-verso--233cd3c0f2701d8c-w320.webp)