Reclining Child
c. 1670
Medium
Black chalk, heightened with white chalk, on ivory laid paper tinted pink
Dimensions
23.1 × 34.9 cm (9 1/8 × 13 3/4 in.)
Classification
chalk
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82181
Art Historical Context
Luca Giordano's *Reclining Child* (c. 1670) is a captivating example of the Neapolitan Baroque master's drawing prowess. Created during Giordano's prolific mid-career phase in Naples—where he earned the nickname "Luca Fasto" for his remarkable speed—this intimate study measures just 23.1 × 34.9 cm and in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings department. Executed in black chalk heightened with white on pink-tinted ivory laid paper the work exemplifies the three-chalk technique popular among 17th-century Italian artists. This method allowed for subtle tonal modeling and luminous highli...
About the Artist
Luca Giordano · 1634–1705
Luca Giordano (1634–1705) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period who was one of the most prolific and versatile artists of the seventeenth century, earning the nickname "Luca fa presto" ("Luca works fast") for his extraordinary speed of execution. Born in Naples, he studied under José de Ribera and traveled extensively in Italy, absorbing influences from the Venetian colorists, Pietro d...