Assumption of the Virgin 2
Domenico Piola captures the heavenly ascent of the Virgin Mary in this dynamic Baroque drawing, where she floats upward on a cloud of swirling cherubs. Her arms are outstretched in a gesture of divine acceptance, while a chaotic yet harmonious cluster of putti supports her from below. The sketchy, energetic lines and washes of brown ink give the scene a sense of rapid movement and spiritual ecstasy, typical of Piola's prolific workshop in Genoa. Interestingly, an old inscription at the bottom attributes the work to Marcello Venusti, highlighting the tricky business of art attribution where vigorous style often trumps written labels.
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