Black Marble Bowl
n.d.
Medium
Black gouache on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
9.3 × 14.9 cm (3 11/16 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
gouache
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
115489
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Grisoni’s “Black Marble Bowl” is a delicate yet striking study rendered in black gouache on ivory laid paper. Measuring just 9.3 by 14.9 centimeters, the small scale invites close looking, revealing the subtle textures and reflective qualities the artist captured with opaque watercolor. Though undated, the work reflects Grisoni’s eighteenth-century practice of exploring form and material through drawing, a medium he used alongside his better-known portraits and history paintings. The choice of black gouache is especially effective here, allowing Grisoni to mimic the deep luster and v...
About the Artist
Giuseppe Grisoni · 1699–1769
Giuseppe Grisoni was born in Mons, in the Spanish Netherlands, in 1699, to an Italian family, and his career unfolded across multiple European courts and cultural centers, making him a quintessentially cosmopolitan figure of the early eighteenth century. He received his artistic training in Florence, where he absorbed the rich tradition of Florentine portraiture and absorbed the influence of the G...