Fighting Warriors
c. 1540
Medium
Pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, over traces of black chalk, on cream laid paper, laid down on ivory wove card
Dimensions
18.1 × 28.7 cm (7 3/16 × 11 5/16 in.)
Classification
ink with wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81898
Art Historical Context
Behold the dynamic *Fighting Warriors*, a captivating drawing attributed to an unknown artist from the Mantuan school, circa 1540. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department, this sheet measures a modest 18.1 × 28.7 cm, yet pulses with energy. Rendered on cream laid paper and later laid down on ivory wove for preservation, it captures a fierce clash of armored figures in a whirlwind of motion—swords raised, bodies twisting in combat. Crafted with pen and brown ink, enhanced by brush and brown wash over faint traces of black chalk, the work exemplifies Renaissance draf...