Double-sided Sheet of Figural Studies: (recto) Study of a Nude Man in an Action Pose Seen from the Side and in Three-quarter Length; (verso) Study of Christ in the Baptism, Standing in a Frontal View.
18th century
Medium
Black chalk, highlighted with white chalk, on blueish gray paper.
Dimensions
Sheet: 16 15/16 × 10 5/8 in. (43 × 27 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Martin Peretz, 2019
Accession Number
2019.579.2a, b
Art Historical Context
This double-sided drawing by the 18th-century Italian artist Giacomo Zoboli offers a fascinating glimpse into the creative process of a skilled draftsman. On the recto, Zoboli captures a nude male figure in a dynamic, action-oriented pose, rendered from the side in three-quarter length. The verso presents a more contemplative religious subject: Christ standing frontally in a study for the Baptism. Executed in black chalk with white highlights on bluish-gray paper, the sheet measures approximately 43 by 27 centimeters and exemplifies the preparatory nature of such works, likely intended for lar...