Holy Family with St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, and Two Angels in a Landscape 

Donato Creti made this pen and brown ink drawing of the Holy Family, with Saints Elizabeth and John the Baptist and angels, sometime in the early 18th century. Creti was based in Bologna, a city known for its strong academic tradition in the arts. This drawing reflects that tradition, with its emphasis on clear lines, classical composition, and religious subject matter. It also reveals the institutional history behind art production in Italy at the time. Creti served as the director of the Bolognese Accademia Clementina, which shaped artistic taste and provided training to young artists. He was also the official painter for the court of the Duke of Modena, a position that gave him access to wealthy patrons. Drawings like this one, therefore, were not just personal expressions, but products of a sophisticated art world. The study of drawings such as this can shed light on the social and institutional context that shaped the art of the period.