Assumption of the Virgin c. 18th century

Curator: Santi Pacini rendered this drawing, Assumption of the Virgin, in pen and brown ink, a study, perhaps, for a larger altarpiece. Editor: It bursts with upward motion; the swirling robes and figures feel weightless, lifted by faith. The sepia tones enhance the ethereal quality. Curator: Note how Pacini used a limited palette. The cross-hatching builds volume, but there's also an undeniable efficiency, considering the potential commission. The paper itself becomes a field of labor. Editor: The Assumption is a powerful symbol—the Virgin Mary’s bodily ascent into Heaven signifies hope, transcendence, and the promise of salvation, a potent image for believers then, and now. Curator: And the economics of religious art meant these images were produced almost like devotional commodities. It served the church and, in turn, supported artisans like Pacini. Editor: Seeing the apostles below, some reaching, some recoiling, captures the range of human responses to the divine, a universal sentiment depicted through these figures. Curator: Examining it reveals the infrastructure of faith, the material conditions under which these transcendent scenes are manufactured, both literally and figuratively. Editor: Indeed, this artwork captures both human faith and artistic ingenuity, each informing the other.