A Donkey
mid-17th century
Medium
Red chalk
Dimensions
sheet: 6 1/8 x 4 15/16 in. (15.6 x 12.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frits and Rita Markus Fund, 2002
Accession Number
2002.426
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, artists like Adriaen van Velde and Karel Dardin captured the natural world with remarkable sensitivity. This delicate red chalk drawing, *A Donkey*, attributed to both masters, exemplifies their shared interest in animal studies. Measuring just 6 1/8 x 4 15/16 inches, its intimate scale suggests it was a preparatory sketch from a studio album, likely used to refine techniques for larger paintings or etchings. Red chalk, favored by Dutch draftsmen for its warm tones and subtle blending, allowed van de Velde—known for his luminous landscapes and li...
About the Artist
Adriaen van de Velde|Karel Dujardin · 1636–1672
Adriaen van de Velde (1636–1672) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, draftsman, and etcher renowned for his luminous pastoral landscapes and his extraordinary versatility. Born in Amsterdam, he was the son of the marine painter Willem van de Velde the Elder and brother of the marine painter Willem van de Velde the Younger. He studied under Jan Wijnants, a landscape specialist, and possibly under Phili...