The Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels, and God the Father in the Sky 1722 - 1750

Johann Lorenz Haid created this preparatory drawing, The Virgin and Child with Saints and Angels, and God the Father in the Sky, with pen and brown ink, brush and red wash, and black chalk on paper. The materiality of the artwork is very important here. It has a warmth that is largely imparted by the reddish ground of the paper, and enhanced by the artist’s deliberate use of sanguine ink and chalk. This is a study, a record of Haid’s thinking. You can almost see him working out the composition as he goes, as though in conversation with the paper itself. The drawing on paper has imbued the artwork with an intimate character. Its visual language belongs to the history of creative practices and aesthetics, alongside that of fine arts and craft. Ultimately, understanding the materials, the making, and the artistic context allows us to appreciate the artwork on multiple levels, and to challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.