St Antony of Padua kneeling with the Christ Child in his arms while the Virgin and angels appear in the sky 1729 - 1804

Pietro Antonio Novelli rendered this drawing of St Antony of Padua with pen and brown ink, sometime between 1729 and 1804. Novelli was working in a period when the Catholic Church was still a major political and cultural force, particularly in Venice. In this work, St. Antony, traditionally depicted as a humble friar, kneels in adoration, cradling the infant Christ. Above him, the Virgin Mary is revealed amidst angels, bathed in divine light. The drawing emphasizes the saint’s spiritual experience, his direct connection to the divine, yet what does it mean when only a select few have such direct access? What does it mean to see the Virgin Mary or the infant Christ rendered in such a way? How might this image work to reinforce certain ideals and power structures within the church and society at large? Through the artist’s delicate lines, we are invited to consider the emotional and personal dimensions of faith, reflecting the complex interplay between religious doctrine, individual experience, and social identity.