Allegorical Figures of Faith, Hope and Charity in a Niche 1710 - 1754

Jacob de Wit made this drawing, Allegorical Figures of Faith, Hope and Charity in a Niche, with pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, and white chalk on blue paper. It's a study for a ceiling painting, and the artist's technique really anticipates the way it would be seen, far above the viewer's head. The blue paper gives an atmospheric quality, suggesting the sky. De Wit has used white chalk for highlights, which would really catch the light in a finished work. The pen and ink lines define the forms, but the wash is what gives them volume. Look at the way he's suggested the folds of the drapery, with quick strokes of the brush. It's all about creating an illusion of depth and movement. De Wit was a master of this kind of illusionistic painting, known as "trompe l'oeil," which translates to "fool the eye" in French. It's a real feat of skill, and it's all done with relatively simple materials.