Three male saints with the Madonna and Child in the clouds surrounded by angels 1680 - 1764

Sebastiano Conca made this drawing of three male saints with the Madonna and Child sometime before his death in 1764, using pen and brush with grey wash on paper. You can see the loose handling of the pen, with rapid strokes defining the figures and drapery. The grey wash gives depth, particularly in the billowing clouds. Conca was a master of the Baroque style, which thrived on precisely this kind of drama. Drawings like this were crucial to artistic production in the 18th century. They were used to develop ideas for larger paintings, and also circulated as independent works of art. Paper was relatively cheap, and this allowed artists to be experimental, though it also meant they had to produce work quickly. Think of Conca in his studio, quickly rendering these figures in grey wash, with the need to satisfy his patrons. What we see here is not only a religious scene, but also a record of artistic labor.