Saint Rosalia Interceding for Victims of the Plague in Palestrina 1625 - 1713

Carlo Maratti rendered this pen and brown ink with brown wash drawing, Saint Rosalia Interceding for Victims of the Plague in Palestrina, in the 17th or 18th century. The work reflects the intense anxieties around disease that gripped early modern Europe. Rosalia, a local Saint of Palermo, is shown kneeling on the clouds, beseeching divine intervention. Below her, Palestrina is littered with plague victims, their bodies contorted in pain. Maratti uses the traditional representation of a female saint, yet situates her as a figure of action amidst widespread suffering. The drawing serves not just as a religious icon, but also as a stark reminder of the era's vulnerability to epidemics. Consider how experiences of illness and death shape cultural narratives. This drawing captures a specific moment in time but speaks to a broader history of communal trauma, faith, and the search for solace in the face of overwhelming adversity.