Sea Battle
Medium
Brush and brown wash
Dimensions
4 3/4 x 7 1/16in. (12.1 x 18cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1964
Accession Number
64.197.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Pietro da Cortona (1596–1669), a leading figure of the Italian Baroque, masterfully captured dynamic energy in his drawing *Sea Battle*. This intimate preparatory sketch, executed in brush and brown wash on modest 4 3/4 x 7 1/16-inch (12.1 x 18 cm) sheet, exemplifies the artist's skill in rendering dramatic scenes through fluid lines and tonal washes. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Drawings and Prints (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1964), it showcases Cortona's versatility beyond his famed grand frescoes in Rome, such as those in the Barberini Palace. The compositi...
About the Artist
Pietro da Cortona (Pietro Berrettini) · 1596–1669
Pietro da Cortona, born Pietro Berrettini on November 1, 1596, in the Tuscan hill town of Cortona, emerged as one of the towering figures of Italian Baroque art, excelling as a painter, architect, and decorator. He received his early training under the Florentine painters Andrea Commodi and Baccio Ciarpi. In 1612, Commodi brought the young artist to Rome, where Pietro immersed himself in the city'...