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Studies of Angels (recto)

Michel Dorigny

1658

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory

Dominant colour

Studies of Angels (recto) is a 1658 by Michel Dorigny, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Michel Dorigny
When & what style?: 1658 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see several angels drawn on the page. They appear to be flying, with flowing drapery. The artist used firm lines and hatching to create detail. The drawing style is similar to another artist, but the airy drapery is distinct. This suggests the artist had a specific style in mind. The drawing is now attributed to Michel Dorigny, and to learn more about his style, look up the technique of chiaroscuro.

The story of this work

Overview

Dorigny was the collaborator and son-in-law of Simon Vouet, the leading painter working in Paris in the mid-1600s. Their drawing styles are similar, and this sheet was once attributed to Vouet. However, the airy, floating drapery, firm contour lines, and regular parallel hatching lines are all typical of Dorigny's technique in black chalk. Although we do not know of a painting to which this drawing relates, the flying angels indicate that Dorigny had a religious subject in mind when he drew them.

Read the full account in the museum source.