Personifikation des Glaubens (Fides) mit drei Engeln c. 1735 - 1740

Giovanni Antonio Guardi sketched "Personifikation des Glaubens (Fides) mit drei Engeln" in red chalk. Notice how the composition rises from the lower right with the figure of Faith, diagonally upwards to the left with the cherubic figures. The sepia medium evokes a feeling of agedness and delicacy. The structural arrangement is significant. The artist uses linear, flowing forms to suggest movement and ethereal presence. Guardi’s composition alludes to the sacred through semiotic codes: angels, a chalice, and a cross. Faith, as the central figure, holds the chalice aloft, leading the eye skyward, perhaps symbolizing a connection between the earthly and divine realms. Consider the nature of faith itself. The sketch mirrors the abstract, intangible qualities of faith, a testament to things unseen. The upward direction and linear forms serve not only aesthetic purposes but also work as part of a larger theological discourse. The sketch invites ongoing interpretation.