A Sheet of Anatomical Studies
1600/10
Medium
Pen and brown ink on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
27.1 × 18.8 cm (10 11/16 × 7 7/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
235541
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In addition to his study of Classical antiquity, Peter Paul Rubens also developed his sense of ideal anatomical form through proto-scientific treatises, some of which represented the muscles of the body with the skin flayed. Rubens adopted this manner, known as écorché, for his compelling representation of two interlocking forearms and a face. A virtuoso performance of the use of pen and ink (perhaps the most unforgiving media since it cannot be easily blended or erased), the drawing belongs to ...
About the Artist
Peter Paul Rubens · 1577–1640
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) stands as the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition and the greatest exponent of Baroque painting's dynamism, vitality, and sensuous exuberance. Born in Siegen, Westphalia, and raised in Antwerp, Rubens received a humanist education studying Latin and classical literature before pursuing artistic training under three masters: Tobias Verhaecht, Adam ...