Muleteers and Mules
n.d.
Medium
Pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash, on blue-gray laid paper
Dimensions
13.5 × 17.2 cm (5 3/8 × 6 13/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82382
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings collection, *Muleteers and Mules* by Giovanni Guerra captures a lively snapshot of everyday life. Guerra, a 16th-century Italian draughtsman from Modena active in Bologna, was known for his spirited sketches of travelers, peasants, and animals, often infused with the naturalism emerging from the Carracci circle. This undated drawing likely depicts mule drivers guiding their pack animals along a rugged path—a common sight in Renaissance Italy, symbol commerce, travel, and the toil of the working class. Executed on blue-gray laid paper—a...