Standing Angel Brandishing a Sword
ca. 1590
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over black chalk
Dimensions
10 11/16 x 6 15/16in. (27.2 x 17.6cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1971
Accession Number
1971.64.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the dynamic *Standing Angel Brandishing a* by Ferraù Fenzoni, a captivating drawing from around 1590. Created with pen and brown ink, and brown wash over black chalk, this 11/16 x 6 15/16-inch sheet exemplifies the preparatory sketches favored by late Renaissance artists in Italy. Fenzoni, a painter from Faenza active in Rome, employed these mixed media to build form and drama: the underlying black chalk sketches loose contours, while precise ink lines and translucent washes add volume, movement, and shadowy depth, evoking the angel's fierce energy. The subject—an imposing angel wield...