Group of Standing and Seated Female Figures (recto); Costumed Female Figure (verso)
1624–63
Medium
Red chalk (recto). Pen and brown ink sketch of a costumed female figure (verso)
Dimensions
4-1/8 x 5-9/16 in. (10.4 x 14.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1880
Accession Number
80.3.327
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming double-sided drawing by Francesco Allegrini, dated between1624 and 1663, offers a glimpse into 17th-century Italian draftsmanship. On the recto, a group of standing and seated figures is rendered in red chalk, a medium prized for its warm, fleshy tones and subtle blending that mimic the softness of skin. Measuring a petite 4-1/8 x 5-9/16 inches, the sheet feels intimate, like a personal sketchbook page captured during life drawing sessions. The verso reveals a pen and brown ink sketch of a costumed female figure, showcasing Allegrini's fluid line work and exploratory approach. S...
About the Artist
Francesco Allegrini · 1615–1679
Francesco Allegrini (c. 1615/20–after 1679), born likely in Rome to the painter Flaminio Allegrini from Cantiano near Gubbio, emerged from a family of artists that included his sister, Anna Angelica Allegrini. He trained under Giuseppe Cesari, known as the Cavalier d’Arpino, around 1638–40, before entering the studio of Pietro da Cortona, whose dynamic Baroque style profoundly shaped his own. Elec...