Achille Deveria, Saint Elizabeth

In this deeply mystical composition, a preparatory study for a series of lithographs on the saints, Achille Devéria illustrates one of the most famous episodes in Christian hagiography: the miracle of the roses. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, a figure of absolute charity, is depicted in the midst of a spiritual ascension above a Mediterranean coastal landscape. Saint Elizabeth holds her cloak aloft, revealing the miracle in which the bread intended for the poor was transformed into roses. Her face, surrounded by a halo of radiant light, expresses divine serenity. She is surrounded by putti and angels—some playing music, others holding palms (symbols of spiritual victory)—who support her celestial journey on the clouds. At the bottom of the composition, the earthly world seems to light up in her wake. The city and the shoreline are rendered with a spare use of lines, emphasizing the distance between earthly matters and the elevation of the spirit

Created just two years before the artist’s death, this drawing attests to Devéria’s absolute mastery of black chalk. The use of bistre paper as the base tone allows the highlights of white to create a striking, almost supernatural contrast. The light does not come from outside, but seems to emanate from the saint’s very body, whose fluidly draped robe accentuates the upward movement.