St Augustine healing the paralytics, after Tintoretto’s painting in the Museo Civico, Vicenza 17th century

This drawing, made by an anonymous artist, is a study after Tintoretto’s painting of St Augustine healing the paralytics. The drawing’s composition, with its dramatic foreshortening and dynamic figures, reflects the artistic trends in Venice at the time, where there was an important patronage system that facilitated the production of large-scale religious paintings. The Catholic Church was a major sponsor of art in Venice and artworks like these were designed to inspire faith. Here, St Augustine's miraculous healing power is visually emphasized to reinforce religious beliefs. The choice of subject matter reflects the Church's influence on artistic themes, while the depiction of divine intervention speaks to the social and spiritual values of the period. By researching the patronage systems of Venice and the Counter-Reformation's impact on art, we can better understand how cultural institutions shaped the creation and reception of this drawing. Such examination helps us to understand the meaning of art as contingent on social and institutional contexts.