A Drapery Study for the Knees of a Seated Allegorical Figure of Charity (recto); Bust of a Naked Allegorical Figure of Charity with Two Putti (verso)
Medium
Red chalk and brush and red chalk wash (recto) and black chalk, with black chalk grid lines, (verso) on cream laid paper
Dimensions
11.6 × 12.7 cm (4 5/8 × 5 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
248303
Art Historical Context
This delicate double-sided drawing by Florentine artist Giovanni Antonio di Francesco Sogliani, dated around 1520–30, offers a glimpse into Renaissance preparatory work. On the recto, red chalk and subtle brush wash capture the intricate folds of drapery around the knees of a seated allegorical figure of Charity, one of the three Christian virtues often depicted in religious art. The verso features a black chalk bust of the nude Charity cradled by two playful putti—chubby childlike angels—complete with faint grid lines that suggest the artist was scaling up the design for a larger painting or ...