- Museum number
- 1994,0514.38
- Description
-
Descent of the Holy Spirit, study for a print; the Virgin standing on steps at centre, surrounded by the Apostles, fiery tongues descending on their heads. c.1626
Black chalk and brown wash, reworked with pen and brown ink and grey and white bodycolour, with touches of red on some flesh areas
- Production date
- 1626
- Dimensions
-
Height: 591 millimetres
-
Width: 422 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Drawn for the engraving by Paul Pontius of 1627 (impression in BM R,3.90), based on the painting now in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. It appears that the overall composition and the brown wash was the work of Pontius, with Rubens subsequently intervening in the addition of grey and white bodycolour.
Literature: K. Renger, 'P.P. Rubens Altäre für Bayern', 1991, pp.39-40, fig.23, note.23. l. Burchard-R.A. d'Hulst, 'Rubens Drawings', 1963, pp.216-17, no.139, fig.139. Corpus, 'The Life of Christ after the Passion', VII, pp.108-10, fig.62, no.27a.
Entry from J. Rowlands, ‘Rubens: Drawings and Sketches’, exhibition catalogue, British Museum,1977, no. 166:
This was drawn about 1626 for the engraving by Paul Pontius (R,3.90) dated 1627. Its composition is derived from Rubens's painting of 1619, now in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich which had been commissioned by Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm for the Jesuit Church at Neuburg. The underdrawing and work in brown wash appear to be by Pontius. This was then transformed by Rubens, principally with the use of grey and white bodycolour, with here and there some touches with the pen in brown ink. The composition in the drawing has been widened and extended slightly at the bottom. The arched top of the painting has been made rectangular in the drawing. The most vital differences between the painting and the drawing have been effected by Rubens himself. These are the direction of the Virgin's head and the position of the arms of St John; also, in the group of apostles at the back on the right of the picture, one of the heads has been omitted.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1977 BM, Rubens drawings and sketches, no.166
- Acquisition date
- 1994
- Acquisition notes
- This drawing along with fourteen others by Rubens and his assistants, originally purchased by the National Gallery from Sir Robert Peel in 1871, was deposited on loan to the Department of Prints and Drawings by the National Gallery in 1935 and formally transferred in 1994.
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1994,0514.38
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 1972,U.791
-
Miscellaneous number: NG.853.f
