unknown - Assumption of Mary - 1670–1700 - T-Shirt

A red chalk drawing of the Virgin Mary rising with outstretched arms, attended by three winged putti and drifting clouds, made in the late Baroque period between 1670 and 1700.

Visual Elements & Composition

Red chalk dominates the sheet, set against a large field of pale paper that gives the whole image a airy, open quality. The robed figure stands in a long, loosely draped robe and veil, her head tilted upward and her arms opened wide. Her feet rest on a crescent form, and beneath it a serpentine shape coils toward the lower right. Three winged putti are placed at the upper left, lower left and right, while soft cloud forms fill the lower and outer edges. The composition rises in a pyramidal shape, drawing the eye from the clouds up toward the figure's gaze.

Meaning & Symbolism

The drawing depicts the Assumption of Mary, the belief that the Virgin was taken body and soul into heaven at the end of her earthly life. The upward gaze, open arms and rising clouds express that ascent, and the putti represent the heavenly company Baroque painters often gathered around such scenes. The crescent is a traditional attribute of the Virgin, drawn from the woman standing on the moon in the Book of Revelation, and the serpent beneath it alludes to her triumph over evil. The soft, fluid handling and open outlines mark the sheet as a study for a devotional painting, a working sketch of the kind red chalk was widely used for during this era. The artist is recorded as unknown.

Made for the Wearer

This artwork is printed across the chest of a tee, so the figure rises with the wearer's own movement, her arms open in front of the body. The pale ground of the drawing and its soft red lines suit a garment that is worn close and seen at conversation distance, where the clouds and putti read as a quiet, layered scene rather than a single bold graphic.