Copy in Reverse Design Orientation: Based on the Group of Reclining Figures at Left in Domenico Beccafumi's Scene of Moses Striking the Rock in the Pavement of Siena Cathedral

Art Historical Context

This intriguing drawing captures a detail from one of the most celebrated artistic projects of the Italian Renaissance: Domenico Beccafumi’s expansive marble pavement in Siena Cathedral. Created in the mid-sixteenth century, the original scene of Moses Striking the Rock formed part of a vast narrative cycle depicting Old Testament stories across the cathedral floor. Beccafumi, a Sienese Mannerist known for his dramatic use of light and elegant figural poses, designed the reclining figures seen here to convey both narrative action and graceful movement within the challenging medium of inlaid stone. Executed in pen and brown ink with wash over faint black chalk, this sheet—dated October 15, 1596—offers a reversed copy of the left-hand group from Beccafumi’s composition. Such reproductive drawings were common tools for artists and collectors, allowing them to study and circulate celebrated motifs from public monuments that were otherwise difficult to view up close. The careful framing lines and selective shading suggest the draftsman sought to preserve the original’s dynamic arrangement of male and female nudes while adapting it to a portable format. Housed today in the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Drawings and Prints, the work highlights the enduring influence of Siena’s cathedral pavement and the vital role of copying in transmitting artistic ideas across generations.

About the Artist

Domenico Beccafumi · 1484–1551

Italian artist. Comment on works: History