Madonna and Child with Saints Laurence by Giovanni Baglione

Madonna and Child with Saints Laurence c. 1630

drawing

toned paper

ink drawing

ink painting

pencil sketch

etching

fluid art

ink drawing experimentation

watercolour bleed

watercolour illustration

italy

watercolor

"Madonna and Child with Saints Laurence" is a pen-and-ink drawing created by Italian artist Giovanni Baglione around 1630. This preparatory sketch, currently housed in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, captures the artist's planning process for a larger composition. The sheet features multiple figures, including the Madonna and Child, angels, and figures of saints, arranged in various poses and groupings. The artist meticulously used pen and ink to capture the anatomical details and the drapery folds, showcasing his technical mastery. This drawing provides a valuable glimpse into Baglione's creative process, showcasing his development of the composition, figures, and their interactions for the final work.

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minneapolisinstituteofart about 1 year ago

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In recognition of Giovanni Baglione's talent, Pope Paul V knighted him in 1606. In this lively series of pen and ink studies, he tested ideas for a Madonna and Child surrounded by saints. Although the figures are only summarily described, many are identifiable. Saint Laurence, for instance, appears in the composition on the left, holding the gridiron, on which he met his fiery martyrdom. On the right, the older nude figure kneeling before the Madonna is Saint Jerome. On the back of the sheet Baglione jotted down a grocery list, reminding himself to pick up "olives, apples . . . onions, eggplant" and hinting to us the intimacy, informality, and importance of drawing in the artist's daily life.