Pietà n.d.

Giovanni Battista Castello's "Pietà," is held at The Art Institute of Chicago, and presents a somber scene rendered with delicate pen strokes on paper. The composition centers around the body of Christ, cradled by angels and mourned by onlookers. The artist's use of line is particularly striking. Notice how the network of fine lines creates a sense of depth and volume, with denser areas defining shadows and contours. The cross-hatching and layering of lines builds up the forms, giving texture to the figures' drapery. The underlying grid structure, visible throughout, suggests the artist's methodical approach to spatial organization. This grid subverts conventional representations of the Pieta, as the composition and carefully constructed space challenge fixed notions of the sacred. The formal qualities of the drawing—its lines, shading, and spatial arrangement—invite us to contemplate the intersection of human suffering and divine intervention, as well as the artist's method. It is a process of inquiry rather than a definitive statement.