Design for a Tomb with Female Figures, Putti and Mythological Creatures
16th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, over leadpoint
Dimensions
8-9/16 x 7-1/8 in. (21.7 x 18.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1968
Accession Number
68.729.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 16th-century drawing, created by an anonymous Italian artist, presents a dynamic design for a tomb adorned with graceful female figures, playful putti (cherubic children symbolizing love and innocence), and fantastical mythological creatures. Such preparatory sketches were vital in Renaissance Italy, where elaborate funerary monuments celebrated the deceased's status and bridged the earthly and divine realms. The composition reflects the era's fascination with classical antiquity, blending humanism with spiritual themes in a compact 8-9/16 x 7-1/8 inch sheet. Executed in pen an...