Study of Male Figure Kneeling in a Three-Quarter View, Facing Left (a Shepherd)
18th century
Medium
Black chalk, highlighted with white chalk, on gray paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 13/16 × 8 7/8 in. (32.5 × 22.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Martin Peretz, 2019
Accession Number
2019.579.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the 18th-century tradition of Italian draftsmanship, Giacomo Zoboli *Study of Male Figure Kneeling in a-Quarter View, Facing (a Shepherd)* captures essence of a humble pastoral figure. Created on gray paper with black chalk for shadows and white chalk for highlights, this drawing exemplifies the chiaroscuro technique popular among Bolognese artists like Zoboli. Measuring 12 13/16 × 8 7/8 inches, it reveals the meticulous preparatory work artists undertook for larger paintings or frescoes, often depicting shepherds in religious scenes such as nativity tableaux. Zoboli, active in Bologna dur...