Red Saucer
n.d.
Medium
Red gouache over traces of black chalk on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
8 × 9.8 cm (3 3/16 × 3 7/8 in.)
Classification
gouache
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
115487
Art Historical Context
Giuseppe Grisoni’s “Red Saucer” is a delicate study rendered in red gouache over faint black chalk lines on ivory laid paper. Measuring just 8 by 9.8 centimeters, the compact work invites close inspection, revealing the subtle texture of the paper and the opaque, velvety quality that gouache brings to even the smallest forms. The choice of a single vivid red hue emphasizes the simple, rounded shape of the saucer, transforming an everyday object into a focused exploration of color and contour. Gouache’s matte finish and quick-drying nature made it especially suitable for such intimate sketches...
About the Artist
Giuseppe Grisoni · 1699–1769
Giuseppe Grisoni was born in Mons, in the Spanish Netherlands, in 1699, to an Italian family, and his career unfolded across multiple European courts and cultural centers, making him a quintessentially cosmopolitan figure of the early eighteenth century. He received his artistic training in Florence, where he absorbed the rich tradition of Florentine portraiture and absorbed the influence of the G...