16th Century Lombard School - The Carpenter Angel

Lombard School of the 16th Century
The Carpenter Angel

Black chalk on cream laid paper
31 x 19.5 cm

Provenance:
John Rowlands Collection (1931-2016), former curator of prints and drawings at the British Museum.
Private Collection, Paris

This anonymous drawing, attributed to the Lombard school of the 16th century, embodies the harmonious encounter between the sacred and the everyday, a theme dear to the Italian Renaissance. The composition depicts an angel absorbed in a carpentry task, as if to emphasize the sanctification of labor and craftsmanship. This rare and unusual choice of subject reflects a profound meditation on the dignity of human work and the divine presence in the humblest activities. The influence of Bernardino Luini, a disciple of Leonardo da Vinci, is perceptible here in the treatment of the lines and the gentle aura emanating from the angelic figure.

The Lombard Renaissance, marked by Vinci's influence, imbued religious figures with a new humanity, integrating them into more realistic contexts. This approach aimed to make the divine accessible, understandable, even familiar. In this drawing, the finesse of the line and the subtlety of the shadows convey a technical mastery reminiscent of the aesthetic standards of the time, where formal beauty and spiritual depth harmoniously converged.

Finally, this drawing, though seemingly unfinished, captures attention with its intimate and contemplative character. The attitude of the angel, absorbed in his work, suggests a humanistic vision in which manual labor is elevated to the level of sacred art. Through this perspective, the work invites the viewer to meditate on the spirituality of everyday life and how Renaissance art reconciled the material with the celestial.