Allegory of the Immaculate Conception
1639-1709
Giovanni Battista Gaulli, often called Baciccio (you can spot his nickname scribbled in the bottom left corner!), created this energetic sketch as a blueprint for a much larger masterpiece. Notice the faint grid lines covering the page? Artists used these to perfectly scale up their drawings onto massive church ceilings or canvases. The scene depicts the Immaculate Conception, with God the Father reaching down from a burst of divine light toward the Virgin Mary, who stands atop a globe while crushing a serpent. The swirling fabrics and dramatic, upward-reaching poses are textbook Baroque drama, likely inspired by Gaulli's close mentorship under the legendary sculptor Bernini.
- Technique
- Pen and ink with wash
- Material
- Paper
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