A Reliquary of Saint Sigismondo

Foggini combines pen work with brown ink washes over a preparatory black chalk underdrawing, allowing the artist to model forms through tonal contrast. The surrounding frame is densely populated with scrolls, acanthus leaves and gilded‑door motifs, reflecting the ornate visual language of the late Baroque.

Created in 1719, the drawing was likely intended for devotional or commemorative use within a church context, possibly as a design for an actual reliquary. Its survival on paper indicates it may have served as a preparatory study or a portable representation of the saint’s cult.

The piece aligns with early‑18th‑century Italian Baroque art, where elaborate ornamentation and dramatic symbolism were employed to convey religious reverence. Foggini, active in Florence, frequently integrated architectural frames and allegorical figures in his works, situating this drawing within his broader oeuvre.

While not a large‑scale public commission, the drawing exemplifies the period’s integration of fine drawing techniques with devotional iconography, offering insight into the preparatory processes behind Baroque reliquaries and the visual strategies used to venerate saints.