Sketch for "The Four Prophets of Israel" (for Il Gesù, Rome)c. 1675–1677 · Study 1969.131

Context from the museum

This small painting represents the four prophets of Israel: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. It is one of seven oil sketches made in preparation for the decoration of the four pendentives in the Jesuit Church of the Gesù in Rome. The artist, one of the most prominent large-scale decorative painters in Rome, is known for his grand painting of the vault of the Gesù. Giovanni Batista Gaulli followed the Italian decorative tradition by preparing this sketch, called a bozzetto, to work out his ideas before the final fresco was painted. Fresco painting was the most desirable media for public and private locations, created by mixing dry pigment into wet plaster. They are an ideal permanent decoration; however, the process is tedious and thorough preparation is essential to ensure high quality. Oil sketches would aid the artist in creating a final composition and choosing their palette and would be particularly helpful for awkward spaces such as the pendentive, an inverted triangle. In this scene, Gaulli changed his initial composition for the final fresco, balancing the four prophets and young putti with the young Daniel as the most prominent figure motioning toward the dome.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Sketch for "The Four Prophets of Israel" (for Il Gesù, Rome) is 55 cm wide and 67.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 21.7 × 26.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.82:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.37 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 18.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 122.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Sketch for "The Four Prophets of Israel" (for Il Gesù, Rome) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on canvas, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 55 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?