Banquet Scene: A Seated Warrior Attended by a Number of Servants (recto); Back View of a Standing Man in a Long Cloak (verso)

Art Historical Context

This double-sided drawing by Cesare Nebbia, prominent Italian artist active during the late 16th century (6–1614), the grandeur of Renaissance social life on its recto: a seated warrior at a banquet, attended by a cluster of servants. Rendered in pen and brown ink, the scene evokes the hierarchical rituals of elite dining, with fluid lines suggesting movement and attentiveness among the figures. On the, a solitary standing man in a long cloak is depicted from behind, employing pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash over black chalk for added depth and shadow—techniques that highlight Nebbia's skill in preparatory studies. As a Mannerist draughtsman, Nebbia often created such works as designs for frescoes or engravings, reflecting the era's fascination with classical antiquity and courtly splendor. The modest 11 x 8¼-inch sheet (27.9 x 21 cm) exemplifies the intimacy of Renaissance drawings, prized for their spontaneity and precision. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (purchased via the David L. Klein Jr. Memorial Foundation Inc. Gift in 1975), it offers a glimpse into the workshops of Rome's vibrant artistic scene, where servants and warriors symbolized power dynamics in both myth and daily life.

About the Artist

Cesare Nebbia · 1536–1614

Italian painter. Comment on works: Religious; Portraits