Sheet of Figure Studies, Probably after the Antique (recto); Ornamental Designs (verso)
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash (recto); pen and brown ink (verso)
Dimensions
11-3/8 x 7-7/16 in. (28.9 x 18.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Spencer Bickerton, 1934
Accession Number
34.114.1,2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite sheet of studies by Girolamo dapi (c. 1501–1556), a masterful Italian draughtsman from the Renaissance Ferrara school, showcases the artist's keen eye for classical inspiration. On the recto, fluid pen and brown ink lines, heightened with brush and brown wash, capture dynamic figure studies—likely men and horses—drawn after ancient Roman or Greek sculptures. The verso features delicate pen sketches of ornamental designs, revealing da Carpi's versatility in anatomy and decoration. Measuring just 11⅜ × 7½ inches, this intimate drawing (now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawi...