The Virgin and Child with a kneeling female saint and three loosely sketched figures, one of them an angel 1710 - 1780

This 18th-century drawing by Francesco La Marra, housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst, is a preparatory sketch for a larger composition. Depicting a scene with the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, a kneeling female saint, and an angel, the artwork demonstrates La Marra's masterful use of line to capture the movement and drapery of the figures. The loose, gestural style of the drawing suggests it was created as a preliminary study for a more finished work, likely a painting or fresco. The scene, a common theme in Renaissance and Baroque art, evokes a sense of piety and devotion.