Ein Engel erlöst eine Seele aus dem Fegefeuer c. 1700

Carlo Maratti made this drawing, "An Angel freeing a Soul from Purgatory," in pen and brush with grey wash, probably sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. This artwork is rooted in the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, a state where souls are cleansed before entering Heaven. Maratti, a leading painter in Rome, visualizes this concept with God the Father in the upper register looking down on the scene of an angel lifting a soul from the suffering. The cultural context is significant: the Catholic Church wielded immense power in Rome, and artists like Maratti played a vital role in visually reinforcing its teachings. This drawing doesn't critique the church. Instead, it reinforces its authority by depicting its theological claims. The image asks us to think about how art was commissioned and used to bolster the Church's religious messages. Historians turn to sources such as theological treatises, patronage records, and contemporary accounts to understand better the social function of art during this period. Maratti's work reminds us that art is often embedded in specific institutions and social structures.