Roman Soldier and Woman
Medium
Red chalk on ivory laid paper, tipped onto blue laid paper
Dimensions
20 × 12 cm (7 7/8 × 4 3/4 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85729
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate yet dynamic *Roman Soldier and Woman*, a red chalk drawing by Ercole Procaccini the Younger (c. 1605–after 1675), a prominent Milanese artist of the Baroque era. Created undated (n.d.) on ivory laid paper and tipped onto blue laid paper, this intimate 20 × 12 cm sheet captures two figures in classical attire—a stoic Roman soldier and an accompanying woman—likely as a preparatory study for larger paintings or frescoes. Procaccini, part of a renowned family of Lombard artists, excelled in such sketches, blending anatomical precision with emotional expressiveness characteristi...