Standing Magus (recto); Sketch of Stable and Trees (verso) n.d.

Domenico Fiasella created this drawing of a standing magus with pen and brown ink in seventeenth-century Italy. The magi, or wise men, appear in the Christian nativity story, bearing gifts for the infant Jesus. During the early modern period, religious imagery played a key public role in European society. The Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts, particularly in Italy, using art to inspire piety and reinforce its doctrines. Fiasella received commissions from noble families and religious organizations. Religious institutions like the Church were interested in promoting certain ideals of social order through art. The figure’s classical drapery and idealized features reflect the influence of Renaissance art. Fiasella would have studied classical forms, learning how to use visual codes to convey authority. We know a lot about the social conditions that shape artistic production from artists’ contracts, inventories of estates, and the records of art academies. By studying these sources, we can better understand the complex social and institutional contexts in which artists like Fiasella worked.