Adoration of the kings 

This is Gaspare Diziani's pen and wash drawing, "Adoration of the Kings." In this sketch, Diziani returns to a well-worn biblical subject, popular amongst wealthy patrons of the Venetian Settecento. The adoration of the magi was a frequent subject of painters, due to its associations with wealth, power, and the church. Diziani worked at a time when the Venetian Republic was in decline, but the institutions of art remained powerful. The church remained a popular source of patronage, and religious imagery reinforced its social power. Note how the composition directs our attention to the infant Christ, whose divinity legitimized this power structure. A drawing such as this would have functioned as a preparatory study, and the church would have been concerned with the final aesthetic qualities of the work. To better understand the context in which Diziani was working, we should look at the archives of the art academy. The records of contemporary religious institutions will also give an insight into the social conditions that shaped his artistic output.