Classical Battle Scene; Verso: Peter and John Heal a Cripple at the Gate of the Temple
ca. 1590
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, heightened with white, over red chalk on blue paper. Partially visible framing lines in pen and brown ink on left and bottom edges
Dimensions
9 5/8 x 13 3/8 in. (24.5 x 33.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Louis V. Bell Fund and funds from various donors, 2001
Accession Number
2001.107a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite double-sided drawing by Bartholomeus Spranger a leading Flemish Mannerist artist, dates to around 1590. On the recto, a dynamic classical battle scene bursts with energy: soldiers clash amid rearing horses, their muscular forms twisting in dramatic combat, evoking ancient heroic epics. Flipping to the verso reveals a serene biblical moment from the Acts of the Apostles, Saints Peter and John heal aple at the Temple gate, blending spiritual narrative with elegant humanism. Spranger, who served at the imperial court of Rudolf II in Prague, masterfully captured both secular fury an...