God the Father
1778. White chalk, Red chalk on brown paper.Not on display
This is a preparatory drawing for the main figure of God the Father in the central register for a section of the cupola interior over the High Altar of the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace of Aranjuez. This fresco represents The Glory of the Lamb of God. The figure is depicted facing forwards, seated on a cloud with his right hand on the lamb. The study of the clothing is very thorough, whereas the limbs and the lamb are barely sketched. The Museo del Prado keeps a preparatory sketch (P000601) from the same section of The Glory of the Lamb of God, in which the similarities between the drawing and the sketch can be perceived. Other preparatory drawings of the sketch for the fresco are also kept, like that of Young Angel (D000393), and for another fresco, that of Angel Bust (D000457). Francisco Bayeu also painted other parts of the Chapel such as the Cupola in which he developed the themes of: the Attributes of the Virgin and the Allegory of the Church facing the High Altar; in front, Faith with the Tablets of the Law; on the Gospel side, there is Saint Luke painting the Virgin, and on the Epistle side, the Prophet Isaiah. The Museo del Prado keeps various related preparatory drawings and sketches.
Arnáez, Rocío, Catálogo de Dibujos II. Dibujos españoles siglo XVIII. A-B, Madrid, 1975, p.63
