A Female Saint Contemplating a Crucifix Gm-00050701

Attributed to Giovanni Antonio Guardi (Italian, 1699–1760) This heavily draped figure may be Saint Mary Magdalene or a monastic saint. An energetic tangle of line represents a crucifix floating above her, surrounded by angels. In the lower left lies one of her attributes, a skull, representing penitence and the transience of life.

Antonio Guardi approached this drawing with the same fluid freedom he demonstrated in his paintings. He began with an ample red chalk underdrawing, followed with loosely applied pale reddish-brown washes. He then reinforced these areas with occasional broad accents of pen and added energy with liberal touches of white gouache highlights. The fluency of the wash combined with the energy of his handling conveys a sense of luminosity, while the startling chiaroscuro effects typify Guardi's approach to light and shadow. He probably made this drawing as a study for a small devotional painting, though it may also have simply been an exercise in drawing.

High Quality Wood Framed Print using museum quality paper and archival inks with a mat for a contemporary look. Comes with Acrylite glazing and hanging hardware. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

Stretched Canvas is stretched over 1.25" thick pine bars and printed on heavy cotton poly matte finish canvas. Comes with mounting brackets. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

Giclee Prints are printed on 250 gsm Matte Paper with the finest archival inks. Each print carries a white border around the perimeter. The listed size refers to the overall paper dimensions. The image is printed proportionally within this paper size and includes a small white border. These are Made in USA or Europe depending upon your location.

All of our images are digitized from the original or negative. Questions? Please email service@archivea.com.

Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea.