The Assumption of the Virgin

Fortunato Duranti's preparatory sketch depicts the Assumption—the Virgin Mary's ascent to heaven surrounded by attendant angels. The composition uses dynamic diagonal lines and fluid pen work to convey upward movement, with figures arranged across multiple registers. Mary occupies the central plane, her pose echoing Renaissance prototypes, while cherubs and celestial beings drift through atmospheric space above and below. This drawing likely served as a study for a larger religious painting, exemplifying the academic tradition of careful compositional planning through sketched variants before execution in final media.