A Tabernacle Containing a Papal Escutcheon Supported by Angels
ca. 1538–40
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over traces of leadpoint or soft black chalk and stylus-ruling
Dimensions
17-7/8 x 13-9/16 in. (45.4 x 34.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, and Charlotte Gere Gift, in memory of John Gere; and Gift of Malcolm Wiener, 1998
Accession Number
1998.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant drawing by Giulio Romano, created around 1538–40, presents a richly ornamented tabernacle designed to house a papal coat of arms. Flanked and supported by lively putti and angels, the composition reflects the artist’s training under Raphael and his leading role in the development of Mannerism. The work likely served as a preparatory study for an architectural or sculptural project commissioned by the papal court, where heraldry and religious function were seamlessly combined. Giulio Romano’s dynamic arrangement of figures demonstrates his inventive approach to decorative design. ...
About the Artist
Giulio Romano · 1499–1546
Giulio Romano (c. 1499–1546) was the most gifted pupil of Raphael and one of the founding figures of Mannerism, the style that succeeded the High Renaissance in Italy. Born Giulio Pippi in Rome, he entered Raphael's workshop as a boy and proved so talented that by the time of Raphael's death in 1520 he was effectively running the studio and overseeing the completion of major unfinished commissions...