Artwork
Altarpiece of the Madonna and Child with Saints, in Its Architectural Setting
Altarpiece of the Madonna and Child with Saints, in Its Architectural Setting is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist Perino del Vaga. It dates from 1532 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
This 1532 drawing by Perino del Vaga is a preparatory sketch for an altarpiece, executed in pen and brown ink on laid paper. It showcases the artist's ability to convey complex compositions through simple, expressive lines.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a traditional Christian scene: the Madonna and Child enthroned, flanked by two saints, set within an elaborate architectural framework. The figures and setting are rendered in a straightforward, diagrammatic manner, emphasizing the overall structure of the composition.
Technique & Style
Characterized by quick, loose lines and a focus on chiaroscuro, the drawing demonstrates Perino del Vaga's skill in suggesting three-dimensional form through ink alone. The absence of color and emphasis on shape and shadow underscore the work's function as a preparatory study.
History & Provenance
Created in 1532 by Perino del Vaga, a prominent figure in the Mannerist movement, this drawing reflects the artist's engagement with classical influences and innovative compositional techniques during the early 16th century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Piero Bonaccorsi (1501 – October 19, 1547), known as Perino (or Perin) del Vaga, was an Italian painter and draughtsman of the Late Renaissance/Mannerism.
![Palatial Mantelpiece with a Scene of Ancient Sacrifice [recto], by Austrian 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/austrian-16th-century--palatial-mantelpiece-with-a-scene-of-ancient-sacrifice-recto--6818e7e0eb258b13-w320.webp)
Palatial Mantelpiece with a Scene of Ancient Sacrifice [recto]
A Baldachin with a Painting of the Annunciation![Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple [verso], by Antonio Zanchi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/antonio-zanchi--presentation-of-the-virgin-in-the-temple-verso--450080eaf8685583-w320.webp)
Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple [verso]
A Design for a Wall Decoration or Fountain
Design for a Wall Decoration with Pasted-in Sketches after Raphael (verso)
An Elaborate Altar of Colored Marble Ornamented with Sculptures
A boy writing or drawing, seated on a fallen column before a ruined niche containing a sculptured figure of a woman
Two Kings and a Woman Leaving an Elaborate Palace
A Reliquary of Saint Sigismondo
Untitled
A Monstrance with Two Angels Supporting a Chalice
The Madonna and Child with Saints