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| Guido Reni Assumption of the Virgin 1616-17 drawing Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan |
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| Anonymous Italian Artist Two Horsemen in Pharoah's Army engulfed by the Red Sea 17th century drawing British Museum |
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| Anonymous Italian Artist Stoning of Stephen 17th century drawing Museo del Prado, Madrid |
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| Pietro Testa Holy Family with St Anne before 1650 drawing Getty Museum, Los Angeles |
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| Pietro Testa Study for The Dream of St Joseph (study for etching) ca. 1635-37 drawing Art Institute of Chicago |
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| attributed to Gioacchino Assereto Sacrifice of Isaac before 1649 drawing Minneapolis Institute of Art |
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| Guercino St Joseph with Flowering Staff held by the Christ Child before 1666 drawing Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Pietro da Cortona St Catherine of Alexandria kneeling before 1669 drawing Morgan Library, New York |
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| Giovanni Battista Passeri Adoration of the Shepherds before 1679 drawing National Galleries of Scotland |
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| Giovanni Battista Passeri Vision of St Jerome before 1679 drawing National Galleries of Scotland |
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| Carlo Maratti Jael and Sisera (study for mosaic in St Peter's Basilica) ca. 1686 drawing Royal Collection, Great Britain |
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| Mattia Preti Virgin and Child before 1699 drawing British Museum |
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| Mattia Preti Studies for Crucified Christ before 1699 drawing British Museum |
Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness
Since I am coming to that holy room,
Where, with thy choir of saints for evermore,
I shall be made thy music; as I come
I tune the instrument here at the door,
And what I must do then, think here before.
Whilst my physicians by their love are grown
Cosmographers, and I their map, who lie
Flat on this bed, that by them may be shown
That this is my south-west discovery,
Per fretum febris, by these straits to die,
I joy, that in these straits I see my west;
For, though their currents yield return to none,
What shall my west hurt me? As west and east
In all flat maps (and I am one) are one,
So death doth touch the resurrection.
Is the Pacific Sea my home? Or are
The eastern riches? Is Jerusalem?
Anyan, and Magellan, and Gibraltar,
All straits, and none but straits, are ways to them,
Whether where Japhet dwelt, or Cham, or Shem.
We think that Paradise and Calvary,
Christ's cross, and Adam's tree, stood in one place;
Look, Lord, and find both Adams met in me;
As the first Adam's sweat surrounds my face,
May the last Adam's blood my soul embrace.
So, in his purple wrapp'd, receive me, Lord;
By these his thorns, give me his other crown;
And as to others' souls I preach'd thy word,
Be this my text, my sermon to mine own:
"Therefore that he may raise, the Lord throws down."
– John Donne (ca. 1623)
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| after Guido Reni Head of Christ 17th century drawing Royal Collection, Great Britain |