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Denys Calvaert

Saint Francis of Assisi Adoring the Virgin and Child

1607
Black chalk on blue laid paper
52.1 × 31.2 cm (20.5 × 12.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This monumental drawing shows Denys Calvaert’s nearly final conception for an altarpiece. The artist made a few intriguing changes before completing the painting. He replaced a child in the lower left of the drawing with an older saint figure, covered the Christ Child’s genitalia, and shifted Saint Francis’s head toward the center of the composition.

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