Apostel en vier engelen 1609 - 1660

Giovanni Battista Vanni, an artist of the Italian Baroque period, created this ink on paper work entitled "Apostle and Four Angels." In the Baroque era, religious art was often used to evoke intense emotion and spiritual experiences. Vanni, deeply rooted in his Catholic faith, uses exaggerated, dramatic forms to convey the intensity of religious experience. Consider the figures; the apostle’s commanding presence and the angels’ dynamic poses suggest a moment of divine intervention or revelation. We might also read the work in terms of the gendered and racial dimensions of Baroque religious art. Who is granted authority and presence, and who is rendered passive? In this context, consider how the figures—particularly the angels—conform to or challenge conventional notions of masculinity and femininity. In contemplating this drawing, what feelings or ideas emerge for you?