Two Equestrian Figures with Figure on Ground
1820â1850
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-8332
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Two Equestrian Figures with Figure Ground** is a captivating drawing by Fortunato Duranti, Italian artist (1787–1863) renowned for his neoclassical sculptures and preparatory sketches. Created between 1820 and1850, this work captures two mounted figures alongside a fallen one on the ground, ev dramatic tension typical of the era's interest in heroic narratives and classical motifs. Duranti, active in Rome during the Napoleonic aftermath and Risorgimento stirrings, often drew from antiquity, blending precise anatomy with dynamic composition to prepare for marble works. Though the medium rema...