Christ Resurrected Surrounded by Angels

Italian (Venetian School), 1659–1734
c. 1712–1716
Oil on canvas
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation

Sebastiano Ricci painted this bozzetto (preliminary sketch) for a finished painting in the chapel at the Chelsea Royal Hospital in London. The Resurrection was a popular subject for hospitals because it offered the promise of delivery and recovery. Ricci combined dramatic lighting effects of 17^th century Baroque painting with delicate brushwork and color of Venetian Renaissance artists. His use of agitated paint application shows the influence of his friend Magnasco.