Luigi SabatelliItalian, 1772–1850Daniel's Vision
May one see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Daniel's Vision” now? Collection: J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Not on view at present. Checked October 7, 2026.
Los Angeles, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
This spectacular large-scale drawing by the premier pre-romantic Italian artist Luigi Sabatelli represents Daniel’s apocalyptic vision from the Hebrew Bible (Daniel 7:1–28). Standing on the coast, the prophet encounters the four beasts emerging from the water: a lion with eagle wings, a bear, a winged leopard with four heads, and a beast with ten horns with a further small horn with eyes and a mouth, which uproots three of the ten. Above them, the Ancient of Days appears to carry out judgment. He destroys the fourth beast and strips the other three of their authority but lets them live. The Italian text underneath the drawing, in Sabatelli’s handwriting, is a biblical excerpt describing the beasts. Sabatelli meticulously rendered the drawing utilizing the graphic language of etching and engraving.
Read on
Although in 1809 the artist created an etching of the same dimensions and composition, this drawing was not preparatory for the print but rather a finished work of art that would have been greatly cherished by collectors. Comparison with the etching reveals that while the outlines of the compositions correspond, the internal modeling is done independently.
J. Paul Getty Museum
Particulars
- Accession number
- 2024.18
In the catalog
Sources
- J. Paul Getty Museum
- Image: J. Paul Getty Museum — Open Content
