About this artwork
Cades divides his scene of the Virgin Mary’s birth into two symbolic halves. In the background at right, deep in shadow, Mary’s mother Saint Anne recuperates in bed. In the foreground at left, bathed in light, Saint Joachim gestures toward the infant Mary.
Influenced by both ancient Roman sculptural reliefs and Italian Renaissance painting (particularly that of Raphael), the artist rendered the birth of the Virgin as if it were carved from time-stained marble. The drawing is characterized by strong contour lines, monochromatic coloring, and a frieze-like arrangement.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Giuseppe Cades
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Title
- Birth of the Virgin
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Place
- Italy (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1779–1789
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Medium
- Pen and brown ink with pen and brown wash, over traces of graphite, heightened with white gouache (discolored), on ivory laid paper
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Dimensions
- 42 × 56 cm (16 9/16 × 22 1/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Bequest of Inge Maser
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Reference Number
- 2008.236
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/194756/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
