The Mocking of Elisha
c. 1500
Medium
Pen and black ink, with touches of brown ink, and brush and black, brown, pink, green, blue, and yellow wash, on ivory laid paper, discolored to buff, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions
21 × 14.5 cm (8 5/16 × 5 3/4 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
22607
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Created around 1500 by Jean Poyet, "The Mocking of Elisha" showcases the refined draftsmanship of the period through its delicate combination of pen and black ink touches of brown ink and vibrant washes in pink, green, blue, and yellow. Applied to laid paper that has aged to a warm buff tone, these layered techniques create both crisp outlines and soft tonal effects, giving the small composition a lively yet intimate quality. Measuring just 21 by 14.5 centimeters, the drawing’s compact scale rewards close viewing, highlighting the artist’s skillful control of line and color. Works like this on paper played an important role in the transition from illuminated manuscripts to independent drawings, allowing artists to explore narrative subjects with both precision and expressive freedom. Now preserved in the Prints and Drawings department at the Art Institute of Chicago, this piece offers visitors a direct connection to the materials and methods that defined artistic practice at the dawn of the sixteenth century.