Illustration for a Book: Saint Luke with a Female Allegorical Figure

Illustration for a Book: Saint Luke with a Female Allegorical Figure is an exquisite black chalk drawing created by the Venetian master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770). This preparatory piece, executed toward the end of his prolific career, showcases Tiepolo’s work as a designer, likely intended as a model for an engraved frontispiece or detailed book illustration.

The composition centers on the Gospel author, Saint Luke, who is traditionally identified by his symbolic animal. Tiepolo incorporates this tradition by including a cow or ox, typically seen near the saint’s feet, anchoring the theological context. The saint is paired with a prominent female allegorical figure. The dynamic pose and classical drapery suggest the figure represents inspiration, wisdom, or perhaps the Church itself, complementing Luke’s role as the patron of artists and chronicler of the Gospel.

The work is a masterful example of draftsmanship in black chalk. Detailed examination reveals faint horizontal and vertical centering lines ruled into the paper. This crucial technical detail indicates that the drawing was specifically prepared for transfer, allowing Tiepolo or an engraver in his workshop to translate the complex design efficiently into a print matrix. The study offers valuable insight into the production methods of 18th-century Venetian masters. This important piece of graphic art, demonstrating the artist’s characteristic fluid handling and technical precision, resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.