The Madonna and Child in Glory with Saints Gregory the Great and Andrew 1734 - 1735

Antonio Balestra made this lunette, “The Madonna and Child in Glory with Saints Gregory the Great and Andrew,” using pen and brown ink with gray wash over graphite underdrawing. Balestra lived during a time of strict social hierarchies, where religious and political narratives were often intertwined, as they are here. In this sketch, the Virgin Mary is enthroned on clouds with the infant Jesus, while Saint Gregory the Great writes, guided by an angel, and Saint Andrew stands by his side. What is more striking, however, is the complete absence of any real identity. Everyone here is a type, representing an ideal rather than an individual. The artist seems to be focused on a heavenly vision rather than the earthly realities of his subjects. The wash and ink give the work a gentle, ethereal quality, suggesting a world beyond our own. Despite its traditional subject matter, the sketch invites us to reflect on the emotional and spiritual dimensions of faith. Balestra offers a glimpse into a world where the divine and the human meet.