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A winged angel wearing a long billowing robe and holding a torch balances or lands on their left foot, on our right, in this vertical drawing. Created with dark brown ink against cream-white paper, the person is sketchily drawn so some of the details are indistinct. The right foot, on our left, is raised behind the angel, who looks down in that direction. A wing stretches out above, making an arc to our left. The edge of a column and base lines the right edge of the paper. The background behind the angel is slate blue. The drawing with the angel has been cut out near its edges and affixed to a sheet the same blue. Some white clouds billow up around the angel's feet.
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A winged angel wearing a long billowing robe and holding a torch balances or lands on their left foot, on our right, in this vertical drawing. Created with dark brown ink against cream-white paper, the person is sketchily drawn so some of the details are indistinct. The right foot, on our left, is raised behind the angel, who looks down in that direction. A wing stretches out above, making an arc to our left. The edge of a column and base lines the right edge of the paper. The background behind the angel is slate blue. The drawing with the angel has been cut out near its edges and affixed to a sheet the same blue. Some white clouds billow up around the angel's feet.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

An Angel Carrying a Torch

Filippino Lippi

Date
c. 1500/1504
Medium
pen and brown ink and gray wash on laid paper
Dimensions
overall (maximum measurement): 20.6 x 13 cm (8 1/8 x 5 1/8 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1991.190.1.f
Credit line
Woodner Collection, Patrons' Permanent Fund
Time span
1401 to 1500
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • Florentine
  • Renaissance
  • angels
  • religious
  • Torch
Provenance

Giorgio Vasari [1511-1574]; Niccolò Gaddi [d. 1591]; possibly Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel; probably William Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Devonshire [1672-1729]; by descent, Chatsworth (inv.no.960) (sale, London, Christie's, 3 July 1984, lot 46); purchased by Ian Woodner, New York; by inheritance to his daughters, Andrea and Dian Woodner, New York, 1990; purchased by NGA, 1991.

NGA object ID 74984. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.