Apotheosis of Hercules (recto); Sketches of Horse's Head, Horse's Forequarters, and Altarpiece or Ciborium (verso)
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, heightened with white gouache, over graphite (recto), and black chlalk with pen and ink (verso), on blue-gray laid paper
Dimensions
25.6 × 36.9 cm (10 1/8 × 14 9/16 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
113594
Art Historical Context
Anton Domenico Gabbiani, a Florentine Baroque artist (1652–1726), crafted this dynamic preparatory drawing, showcasing his mastery in the service of the Medici court. the recto, theApotheosis of Hercules* depicts the hero's divine ascent, a classical myth favored in Baroque art for its themes of triumph and immortality. Rendered in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, heightened with white gouache over graphite on blue-gray laid paper, work employs chiaroscuro techniques to create dramatic light and shadow, evoking the grandeur of ceiling frescoes or altarpieces Gabbiani often designed...