Virgin and Child with Saint John of the Cross (?), Saint Sebastian, and Saint Peter of Alcantara

The detailed drawing, Virgin and Child with Saint John of the Cross (?), Saint Sebastian, and Saint Peter of Alcantara, was executed by the Venetian master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo between 1728 and 1738. This preparatory or finished study showcases Tiepolo’s characteristic mastery of line and tonal washes. Classified as a drawing, the work utilizes pen and brown ink and extensive brown wash, applied over initial sketches traced in black chalk. This layering technique allows for dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, defining the figures of the Madonna and Child surrounded by a dynamic group of Saints.

Tiepolo centers the composition on the ethereal Madonna and Child, positioned dynamically in the upper register, lending the work an uplifting, visionary quality typical of Italian High Baroque devotion. Below them, three prominent men anchor the scene. The inclusion of the young Saint Sebastian, often recognizable by the faint indication of his martyrdom, is balanced by the figures tentatively identified as Saint John of the Cross and Saint Peter of Alcantara, a figure associated with the Spanish Franciscan order. The grouping of these particular Saints suggests the drawing may have been a design study for a specific altarpiece commission tied to a monastic order or patron active during the early 18th century.

This exceptional example of Venetian drawing highlights Tiepolo’s genius for combining robust figural studies with elegant, rapid presentation. The drawing is securely housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a crucial document of the artist's developmental process during a peak period of his career. As an important historical masterwork, high-quality images and related prints of this drawing are sometimes made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broad scholarly access to Tiepolo's preparatory methods.