Two holy women in prayer 1455

Andrea Mantegna made this pen and brown ink drawing of two holy women in prayer in Italy. The image presents a paradox for its time. On the one hand, its subject is the private devotion of two women, indicated by their halos. On the other hand, Mantegna put his considerable skill as a draughtsman on display, creating a study of drapery and posture that would have been appreciated by other artists. Italy at this time had many religious institutions and schools that supported artistic production. This drawing could have been made for one of them. Art historians might look into the archives of the Mantegna workshop, or of religious orders of the time, to understand the original purpose and destination of this drawing. Art is a product of the society that makes it, and historical research allows us to understand how and why.