Young Angel
1778. Red chalk, White chalk on dark toned paper.Not on display
This is a preparatory drawing for a figure of a young angel intended for the fresco Faith with the Tablets of the Law, located in front of the High Altar on the cupola interior of the Lower Chapel of the Palace of Aranjuez. It was built following the plans and under the direction of Francisco Sabatini in 1778, the year in which Bayeu painted the cupola. He also painted other subjects on the cupola interior: the Attributes of the Virgin and the Glory of the Lamb of God on the High Altar; on the Gospel section, Saint Luke painting the Virgin and, on that of the Epistle, the Prophet Isaiah. In this drawing, the figure is depicted lying on a cloud with his left arm raised upwards. The study of the garment is very thorough, whereas the study of the figure is barely sketched. The Museo del Prado keeps numerous drawings and several sketches for the Public Chapel of Aranjuez. Specifically, the sketch of the Allegory of the Church (P002492) shares some similarities with the angel represented in the lower part of the central register. Furthermore, the drawing of the Allegory of Faith (D000601) corresponds to the main figure of the composition.
Arnáez, Rocío, Catálogo de Dibujos. II. Dibujos españoles siglo XVIII. A-B, Madrid, 1975, p.62-63
