Pen and brown ink drawing of a kneeling Virgin with a standing infant, a kneeling bearded man, and cherubs swirling in clouds above.

Study for 'The Dream of Saint Joseph'

A pen and brown ink study on tan paper shows the Virgin kneeling at lower left beside a standing infant, with a bearded man kneeling at right. Above them, a crowd of cherubs' heads and angels swirls through clouds around a radiant glow.

Artist: Pietro Testa
Date: 1635/37
Medium: Pen and brown ink, with black chalk and traces of incising, on tan laid paper, laid down on cream wove paper
Source: Art Institute of Chicago
Size: 843 × 1505 px

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Public domain · Art Institute of Chicago releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1637).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (Art Institute of Chicago, is_public_domain=true)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Art Institute of Chicago, Purchased with funds provided by Dorothy Harza, with the assistance of Kate de Rothschild Agius and Marcus Agius, in memory of Laura Harza

17th century religious art angels clouds cherubs baroque drawing virgin and child pen and brown ink study drawing pietro testa sepia