Saint Francis Adoring Virgin and Child n.d.

Luigi Garzi created this drawing, Saint Francis Adoring Virgin and Child, with pen and brown ink with gray wash over black chalk. Produced in Italy during the Baroque period, the sketch suggests how art served specific interests within the Catholic Church. Note how Francis is at the bottom of the image, gazing up in reverence. The Virgin Mary and the Christ Child float above him, surrounded by clouds and angels. This visual hierarchy reinforces the Church's teachings, positioning saints as intercessors between the divine and the earthly. Garzi was a prominent artist in Rome and this drawing might have been a preparatory sketch for a larger commission. By studying archival materials, such as letters, contracts, and inventories, we can uncover more about the social and institutional contexts that shaped Garzi's artistic production and the role his art played in promoting specific religious ideas.