Standing Youth with Hands Behind His Back, and a Seated Youth Reading (recto); Two Studies of Hands (verso)

Art Historical Context

Filippino Lippi, a leading Florentine painter of the late 15th century (145/58–1504), created this double-sided drawing as a preparatory study, capturing the grace of youth in everyday poses. On the recto, a standing youth stands pensively with hands clasped behind his back, while a seated figure intently reads—a nod to Renaissance ideals of contemplation and learning. The verso features two detailed studies of hands, showcasing Lippi's mastery of anatomy and gesture, likely sketches for larger frescoes or altarpieces in churches like Santa Maria Novella. Crafted in metalpoint—a fine, precise technique using a stylus of silver or other metal on specially prepared pink paper—the recto is enhanced with white gouache highlights for subtle modeling and luminosity. This medium, popular among Renaissance draftsmen like Leonardo, allowed for delicate lines impossible with pen or chalk, emphasizing Lippi's training under Botticelli and his blend of Gothic elegance with emerging naturalism. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this intimate sheet (9⅝ × 8½ in.) reflects the era's humanistic focus on the male form, bridging study and storytelling in Florentine art. Visitors will appreciate its tactile delicacy, a window into the artist's workshop.

About the Artist

Filippino Lippi · 1457–1504

Filippino Lippi was born around 1457 in Prato, the illegitimate son of the celebrated Florentine painter Fra Filippo Lippi and the nun Lucrezia Buti, who later received a papal dispensation to marry. The family moved to Spoleto, where young Filippino assisted in his father's workshop on the fresco cycle *Life of the Virgin* in the cathedral. Following Fra Filippo's death in 1469, when Filippino wa...