Fame

Art Historical Context

Luca Cambiaso, a leading Genoese artist of the sixteenth century, created this expressive drawing titled *Fame* during the mid- to late 1500s. The work depicts the allegorical figure of Fame, a popular subject in Renaissance art symbolizing renown and glory. As a drawing rather than a finished painting, it offers an intimate glimpse into Cambiaso’s creative process, revealing how he explored dynamic poses and dramatic lighting before committing ideas to larger compositions. Executed in pen and brown ink with brown wash over faint black chalk, the medium allows for fluid lines and rich tonal contrasts that bring the figure to life. Cambiaso’s confident handling of ink captures movement and volume with remarkable economy, a technique that made him one of the most admired draughtsmen of his time. Such works on paper were prized by collectors for their immediacy and insight into an artist’s mind. Today, this sheet belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Robert Lehman Collection, where it preserves the vitality of late Renaissance draftsmanship for modern viewers.

About the Artist

Luca Cambiaso · 1527–1585

Luca Cambiaso (1527–1585) was an Italian painter and draftsman who dominated artistic life in Genoa during the second half of the sixteenth century and became one of the most innovative draftsmen of the Late Renaissance. Born in Moneglia near Genoa, he trained under his father, the painter Giovanni Cambiaso, and demonstrated precocious talent, reportedly completing his first public fresco commissi...