Studies after the Antique: The Fall of Phaëthon, Horses, Reclining Women with Children (recto); Studies after the Antique: An Altar or Urn, Lion Attacking a Horse (verso)
1474–1552
Medium
Black chalk, pen and brown ink (recto); pen and brown ink over traces of black chalk (verso)
Dimensions
14-5/8 x 10-1/4 in. (37.2 x 26.0 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1919
Accession Number
19.151.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
Amico Aspertini's *Studies after the Antique*recto and verso), created during his lifetime (1474–1552), exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity. On the recto, intricate sketches capture the dramatic *Fall of Phaëthon*—the mythological youth plummeting from his sun chariot—alongside dynamic horses and reclining women with children, likely inspired by ancient Roman reliefs or sarcophagi. The verso features an ornate altar or urn and a fierce lion attacking a horse, Aspertini's keen eye for classical motifs of struggle and grandeur. As a Bolognese artist influenced by Ro...