Ancient Relief with Hercules and the Mares of Diomedes (recto); Two Sketches: Draped Satyr and Winged Female Figure (verso)
1521/56
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with traces of red chalk (recto), and pen and brown ink (verso), on tan laid paper
Dimensions
16.6 × 28.9 cm (6 9/16 × 11 7/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
112712
Art Historical Context
This exquisite double-sided drawing by Girolamo da Car, a Ferrarese artist active in the mid-16th century (c. 1521–1556), captures the Renaissance passion for classical antiquity. On recto, executed in precise pen and brown ink with traces of red chalk on tan laid paper, Carpi meticulously copies an ancient relief depicting Hercules ninth labor: capturing the ferocious, man-eating Mares of Diomedes, king of Thrace. This mythological scene, drawn from Greek lore, showcases the hero's superhuman strength amid dynamic horses and rearing figures, rendered with fluid lines that evoke the original s...