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The Elect Ascending into Heaven

Luca Cambiaso

Artwork Details

The Elect Ascending into Heaven
circa 1567
Luca Cambiaso
pen and brown ink with brown wash on paper
11 15/16 x 8 7/16 in. (30.32 x 21.43 cm);17 x 12 ½ in. (43.18 x 31.75 cm);19 ¼ x 14 ¼ in. (48.89 x 36.2 cm)
Gift through the Estate of Edward Sonnenschein
1970/2.12

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Description

Subject Matter:

Luca Cambiaso created this study in preparation for a giant panel at the church of the Holy Annunciation of Portoria in Genoa, Italy, which still exists today. Cambiaso renders all of his figures with simple, short strokes in pen. A wash creates some shadows. Cambiaso was famous for his “cubist” style of drawings. He reduces the figures to basic shapes and excludes details like facial features or the texture of drapery. Instead, the drawing shows how Cambiaso visualized where to place the figures in the painting. 

The ascension of the elect is part of the biblical account of the last judgment. God raises his followers, “the elect,” out of their graves on earth and into heaven. Even in this abstract image, we can see bodies stretching upward. The smaller figures floating at the top of the image represent angels.

Usage Rights:

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