Design for the Decoration of a Cupola with a Prophet, King David and Two Putti 1613 - 1699

Mattia Preti made this design for the decoration of a cupola using pen and brown ink with brown wash over a red chalk sketch on paper. Born in Italy, Preti spent much of his career in Southern Italy and Malta, regions then under Spanish rule. The dramatic, theatrical style that Preti developed reflects the influence of artists such as Caravaggio, but also, his art was formed by the specific religious and political context of the Counter-Reformation. Here, Preti’s figures inhabit the architectural framework of a cupola. A prophet and King David are seen alongside putti, winged cherubic boys. These figures are full of movement and emotion, indicative of Baroque art. Preti seems to invite us to consider the relationships of power and knowledge, where biblical figures legitimize authority. However, the intimate scale of the drawing and the way the bodies are rendered through the chalk allow us to get closer to the artist's intentions. This is an insight into Preti's method. This connects us to the human element behind these grand, ideological projects.