Studies: Figure Holding a Candlestand, Woman with Left Arm Extended, Head Looking Down towards the Right, Kneeling Woman
Medium
Black chalk on brown paper
Dimensions
11-1/4 x 7-5/8 in. (28.5 x 19.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1880
Accession Number
80.3.187
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intriguing sheet of studies, attributed to an anonymous Italian artist the Roman-Bolognese in the 17th, captures the dynamic energy of Baroque-era figure drawing. Executed in black chalk on brown paper—a favored medium for its tonal warmth and versatility—the work measures 11-1/4 x 7-5/8 inches and features four distinct poses: a figure holding a candlestand a woman with her left extended, a head looking to the right, and a woman. These sketches exemplify the preparatory practices of Bolognese artists, influenced by masters like the Carracci brothers, who emphasized naturalism and anatomi...