Nine Studies of the Moses in Santa Maria della Steccata, Parma (recto); Nine Studies for the Eve in Santa Maria della Steccata, Parma (verso)
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over traces of black chalk, on beige paper (recto and verso)
Dimensions
8 5/16 x 6in. (21.1 x 15.3cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Pfeiffer Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.135
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of Renaissance draftsmanship with this exquisite double-sided sheet by Parmigianino (Giamo Francesco Maria Mazzola 1503–1540), a master of Mannerism known for his graceful, elongated and poetic elegance. Titled *Nine Studies of the Moses Santa Maria della Stecc, Parma (recto); Nine Studies for the Eve Santa Maria della Stecc, Parma (verso)*, this small yet dynamic drawing (8 /16 x 6 in captures the artist's preparatory for fresco figures in Parma's Santa Maria della Steccata church, a project he began around 1531 but left unfinished due to disputes. Executed in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash over faint black chalk traces on beige paper, the recto features fluid, overlapping sketches of Moses—probing poses that reveal Parmigianino's quest for ideal proportions and expressive anatomy. Flipping to the verso, nine variations of Eve showcase his innovative use of wash to model form and suggest volume, blending precision with fluidity. These studies highlight Mannerism's departure from High Renaissance harmony, emphasizing stylish distortion and emotional intensity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Pfeiffer Fund, 1962), this gem offers a rare glimpse into an artist's iterative process, bridging personal invention with sacred narrative—Moses and Eve as archetypal figures of law and temptation. A testament to Parmigianino's prodigious talent, it invites visitors to appreciate the hidden labors behind grand frescoes.
About the Artist
Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola) · 1503–1540
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, known as Parmigianino, was born on January 11, 1503, in Parma, into a family of artists. The eighth child of painter Filippo Mazzola and Donatella Abbati, he lost his father to the plague at age two and was raised by his uncles, Michele and Pier Ilario Mazzola, modestly talented painters who taught him the techniques of the craft. By his late teens, Parmigianino d...