Studie voor een figuur van Mars

Art Historical Context

Carlo Cignani’s *Studie voor een figuur van Mars* offers a fascinating glimpse into the creative process of a leading seventeenth-century Italian artist. Created between 1660 and 1668 on prepared paper measuring 342 by 215 millimeters, this drawing served as a preparatory study for a figure of Mars, the Roman god of war. Cignani, active in Bologna and trained in the classical tradition of the Carracci family, used such studies to explore anatomy, pose, and dramatic lighting before transferring his ideas to larger paintings or frescoes. Drawings on prepared paper were prized in Baroque worksho...

About the Artist

Carlo Cignani · 1628–1719

Painter who continued the tradition of Bolognese classicism into the 18th century. He became the first president of the Accademia Clementina in 1711. His style is similar to that of Guido Reni. Comment on works: Mythology; Religious.