King Midas
1611–74
Medium
Brush and gray ink, heightened with white bodycolor. Framing line in brush and gray ink with white bodycolor
Dimensions
sheet: 8 1/4 x 11 13/16 in. (21 x 30 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, C. G. Boerner Gift, 2008
Accession Number
2008.225
Tags
Art Historical Context
Leonaert Bramer's *King Midas*, a drawing from the early 17th century, visitors into the timeless Greek myth of the Phrygian king cursed with the golden touch. Created during Bramer's lifetime (1596–1674), this work exemplifies the Dutch artist's flair for dramatic, intimate mythological scenes. As a master of small-scale compositions, Bramer explored biblical and classical tales, blending tenebrist shadows with luminous highlights to evoke emotion and narrative depth—a style influenced by his time in Italy amid the Caravaggisti. Executed in brush and gray ink heightened with white bodycolor,...