Nativity (recto); Virgin and Child, Angel (verso) by Filippo Bellini

Nativity (recto); Virgin and Child, Angel (verso) 1570 - 1603

drawing, print, paper, ink, ink-drawings, graphite, pen

drawing

toned paper

light pencil work

print

pencil sketch

incomplete sketchy

paper

ink

ink drawing experimentation

underpainting

ink-drawings

water

graphite

sketchbook drawing

pen

watercolour illustration

italy

sketchbook art

watercolor

Filippo Bellini’s “Nativity (recto); Virgin and Child, Angel (verso)” (1570-1603) is a drawing, currently at the Art Institute of Chicago. This detailed pen and ink drawing depicts a scene of the Nativity with a focus on the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus, and a multitude of figures, including a shepherd. An angel, wings outstretched, is depicted in a separate composition on the reverse of the paper. This preparatory drawing is a testament to Bellini’s skill in capturing the human form and the drama of religious narratives.