Design for Candlestick or for a Crucifix Base 1540 - 1547

Perino del Vaga drew this design for a candlestick or crucifix base in pen and brown ink, likely in Italy in the first half of the 16th century. The drawing’s intended function speaks to the power of the Catholic Church at that time. During the Renaissance, religious institutions were major patrons of the arts, using artworks to communicate ideas and reinforce their cultural authority. Looking at the visual codes in this drawing, we see putti, swags, and grotesque masks drawn in the antique style. This classicizing vocabulary demonstrates the cultural prestige of the Renaissance papacy and its links to ancient Rome. We can understand artworks like this drawing as historical documents that reveal the complex relationship between art, religion, and power. To learn more, look into the history of the Vatican during the Renaissance, the biographies of the artists who worked there, and the political and religious context of the time.