Figure Studies: Three Sketches of Cain Killing Abel, with an Altar of Sacrifice at Center, Two Standing Women, a Hand, and a Seated Child with a Squirrel
1510–61
Medium
Pen and brown ink.
Dimensions
8 5/8 x 11 13/16in. (21.9 x 30cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1917
Accession Number
19.76.15
Tags
About this artwork
This pen and brown ink. work by Battista Franco, titled 'Figure Studies: Three Sketches of Cain Killing Abel, with an Altar of Sacrifice at Center, Two Standing Women, a Hand, and a Seated Child with a Squirrel' and created 1510–61, represents an important example of artistic production from this period. Battista Franco's practice contributed to the broader artistic traditions of the time, demonstrating the technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities characteristic of Drawings and Prints artw...
About the Artist
Battista Franco · 1510–1561
Battista Franco, known as il Semolei, was born in Venice around 1510, though his career unfolded largely in Rome and at the courts of central and northern Italy. He came to Rome in his twenties and immediately fell under two powerful spells: the inexhaustible riches of classical antiquity and the overwhelming presence of Michelangelo. Franco spent years making drawings after ancient sculptures and...