Virgin in Clouds, Supported by Angels n.d.

Antonio da Correggio sketched this drawing, Virgin in Clouds, Supported by Angels, in pen and brown ink. We see the Virgin Mary ascending to heaven, surrounded by angels and clouds, a scene charged with religious significance. Her upward gaze and outstretched arms echo gestures found in ancient Roman art, particularly in depictions of emperors ascending to the heavens, and in even earlier Greek and Egyptian art. This visual vocabulary, rooted in antiquity, was adopted to signify divine ascension. Think of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and how the gesture of her wings relates to the ascension of the Virgin. The cherubic figures around Mary are not merely decorative; they reflect a deep human longing for divine connection, a concept resonating across cultures. This scene is a powerful expression of spiritual yearning, tapping into our collective memory and subconscious understanding of divine ascent. Such compositions evoke intense emotional states, inviting viewers to partake in the sublime experience of heavenly transport. Thus, this motif is part of a complex interplay of cultural memory, continuously resurfacing, evolving, and acquiring new meanings across different historical contexts.