Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus, Flemish, 1523–1605 Search this
Publisher:
Adriaen Collaert, Flemish, ca. 1560 – 1618 Search this
Medium:
Recto: pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash over black chalk on laid paper Verso: pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash over black chalk on laid paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 10.5 × 14.8 cm (4 1/8 × 5 13/16 in.)
Type:
figures
Drawing
Object Name:
Drawing
Made in:
Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Date:
1589 or before
Catalogue Status:
Research in Progress
Description:
Description: Recto, left: Domestic interior with Mary seated on the ground before thehearth, reading. The angel appears above, at right. The scene is struck out.
Recto, right: Interior of bedchamber with the bed of St. Elizabeth in background, left. In the foreground, servants bathe the infant Mary.
Verso left: In a small chamber, the Virgin Mary kneels at left, clasping her hands and looking upward at the angel Gabriel, elevated at right. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, appears in a circle of light at center. Behind the Virgin at left are a chair and a fireplace with andirons at left, a vase at center, and a small table in the foreground at right. This is a version of the composition on the recto, at left. There, the image is subtly different, crossed out, and shown without wash.
Verso, right: Elizabeth kneels at center, embraced by the standing figure of the Virgin. Figures, rendered in heavy wash, gather around. Some indication of courtyard architecture is visible in the background beyond.
