Angels Carrying a Saint 1600 - 1700

This drawing, Angels Carrying a Saint, was created by an anonymous artist, using pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper. The absence of a known author invites us to think about the many hands, often unacknowledged, that have shaped our cultural and spiritual imagination. In this sketch, we see the ethereal depiction of a saint being lifted by angels, set against a backdrop of mountains and clouds. It’s a scene steeped in religious symbolism, but it also speaks to the universal human desire for transcendence. How are we lifted, either literally or metaphorically, by forces unseen, by faith, or by each other? Consider the gendered implications, too. Saints, often venerated for their purity and piety, existed in a complex relationship with the earthly and the divine. What does it mean to be elevated to sainthood, and who gets to decide? This drawing invites us to consider these questions, engaging with both the historical and deeply personal dimensions of faith, identity, and representation.