Paolo Farinati

Elijah and the Chariot of Fire

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About this artwork

This drawing shows the Old Testament prophet Elijah being borne aloft to heaven on a miraculous chariot of fire. The Biblical account makes no mention of the charioteer that accompanies Elijah here. Farinati made this drawing in preparation for a large fresco that he had been commissioned to paint in the Marogna family chapel in the church of San Paolo in Campo Marzio, Verona. The dramatic swoop of the chariot and horses and the billowing clouds demonstrate Farinati at his theatrical best. Apart from a few minor alterations, this drawing is very close to the final fresco. He even indicated the real architecture of the chapel projecting into the picture field at either side. The handling of this drawing is unusually loose compared to other compositional designs by Farinati.

Updated before 2020

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Paolo Farinati

Paolo Farinati