Artwork
Saint James Major
Saint James Major is a chalk drawing by the Baroque artist Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. It dates from 1740 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Saint James Major is a drawing executed in 1740 by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, a prominent Italian Rococo artist. The work is rendered in black and white chalks on light brown laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing portrays Saint James Major in a contemplative pose, aligning with Piazzetta's specialty in creating devotional religious imagery.
Technique & Style
Piazzetta's use of black and white chalks on light brown paper in Saint James Major exemplifies the nuanced tonal range characteristic of his Rococo drawings.
History & Provenance
Created in 1740, the drawing falls within Piazzetta's active period as a leading artist of religious and genre scenes in early to mid-18th-century Italy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (also called Giambattista Piazzetta or Giambattista Valentino Piazzetta) (February 13, 1682 or 1683 – April 28, 1754) was an Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes.
