An Audience (recto); Sketch of a nude woman (verso)
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush with blue-green wash, over black chalk? on light tan paper. Fragments of brown ink framing outlines at left, top, right edges
Dimensions
10-1/4 x 7-11/16 in. (26.1 x 19.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cephas G. Thompson, 1887
Accession Number
87.12.75
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite double-sided drawing from 17th-century Italy, attributed to an anonymous artist of the Roman-Bolognese, captures the vibrancy of Baroque-era life on its recto with *An Audience*. The scene depicts a lively gathering of men, women, and childrenperhaps a formal reception or casual assembly—rendered with fluid energy on light tan paper. Flipping to the verso reveals a more intimate *Sketch of a Nude Woman*, a common study for artists honing their mastery of the human form, highlighting the period's emphasis on anatomical precision and naturalism. Executed in pen and brown ink with...