Overall Pattern with Acanthus Scrolls and a Chubby Putto
17th century
Medium
Brush and brown wash, over graphite underdrawing
Dimensions
image: 8 7/16 x 12 3/16 in. (21.4 x 31 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1952
Accession Number
52.570.89
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 17-century Italian ornamentation with this delicate drawing, *Overall Pattern with Acanthus and a Chubby Put*. Created by an anonymous artist, it features swirling acanthus scrolls—those lush, leafy motifs inspired by ancient classical architecture—intertwined with a plump, playful putto, the cherubic child figure emblematic of Baroque exuberance. Rendered in brush and brown wash over a precise graphite underdrawing, the8 7/16 x 12 3/16-inch sheet (21.4 x 31 cm) showcases the meticulous preparatory techniques used by draftsmen in workshops to design frescoes, tap...