The Child Virgin in Prayer
1809. Pencil ground, Red chalk on yellow paper.Not on display
This gridded drawing in black chalk depicts the Virgin seated on the ground or on an invisible low chair. She is holding an embroidery pad on her knees and is clasping her hands together with an enraptured gaze. Beside her is a sewing basket and a vase of roses and lilies.
This is a preparatory drawing for the print dated 1809 and titled The Contemplative Girl, which copies a composition by Zurbarán known from several models. It is closely related to the version in the Álvaro Gil Collection in Madrid.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso Emilio, Museo del Prado Catálogo de Dibujos T. III. Dibujos Españoles, Siglo XVIII C-Z, Madrid, Museo del Prado, 1977, p.103
