Artwork
The Transport of the Ark of the Covenant
The Transport of the Ark of the Covenant is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Nicola Malinconico. It is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Nicola Malinconico’s drawing, titled The Transport of the Ark of the Covenant, dates from around 1690. Executed on cream‑colored laid paper, the work depicts the biblical scene of the sacred chest being moved, rendered in a single composition that reflects the artist’s late‑Baroque sensibility.
Technique & Style
The image is built with pen lines and brown ink, enriched by a gray wash applied over a graphite underdrawing. This combination of media creates a subtle tonal range, while the use of laid paper gives the surface a textured, slightly rough quality that enhances the drawing’s atmospheric depth.
History & Provenance
Created in the final decade of the 17th century, the drawing belongs to Malinconico’s oeuvre of religious subjects. Its provenance traces back to private collections in Naples before entering a museum holding of Baroque drawings, where it remains catalogued as an example of the artist’s draftsmanship.
Artist & collection
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