Study of a Roman Coachman
early 19th century
Medium
Graphite and watercolor
Dimensions
sheet: 12 3/4 x 8 5/8 in. (32.4 x 21.9 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, C. G. Boerner Gift, 2008
Accession Number
2008.371
Tags
Art Historical Context
Martin Rørbye’s “Study of a Roman Coachman,” created in the early nineteenth century, offers a vivid glimpse into everyday life in Rome through the sensitive medium of graphite and watercolor. The drawing captures a male figure with careful attention to posture, costume and expression, suggesting an artist observing his subject directly from life. At roughly 12¾ by 8⅝ inches, the sheet size is well suited to on-the-spot sketching, allowing the artist to record both the sturdy presence of the coachman and the textures of his clothing with economical yet lively strokes. The combination of graph...