Standing Draped Man [recto]

Art Historical Context

Jacopo da Empoli, a leading Florentine painter active in the late sixteenth century, created this red chalk study of a standing man as part of his process. Born in 1551, Empoli worked in the transition between late Mannerism and the early Baroque, producing religious and narrative paintings for churches and patrons in Florence and beyond. Drawings like this one allowed him to explore pose, drapery, and light before committing to larger compositions on canvas. Executed on laid paper measuring 38.2 by 24.3 centimeters, the medium of red chalk was prized during the Renaissance and Baroque periods for its soft, velvety lines and capacity to model form through delicate shading. The sheet captures the artist’s careful attention to the fall of fabric over the human figure, revealing the technical foundation behind Empoli’s finished paintings. Now in the collection of the National Gallery of Art, this drawing was given by Bertha Leubsdorf in memory of her husband, Karl Leubsdorf, offering visitors a direct glimpse into the quiet, preparatory moments of artistic creation.

About the Artist

Jacopo da Empoli · 1544–1640

Jacopo Chimenti, known as Jacopo da Empoli (1551-1640), was an Italian Florentine painter whose long career spanned the transition from late Mannerism to early Baroque. Born in Florence on April 30, 1551 (Empoli being his father's birthplace, from which Jacopo derived his artistic name), he became an important figure in the Counter-Maniera or Counter-Mannerist movement that reacted against the com...