Two Figures
1501 to 1550
Medium
pen and brown ink on laid paper
Dimensions
Overall: 15.2 x 8.8 cm (6 x 3 7/16 in.) support: 23.8 x 17.3 cm (9 3/8 x 6 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1964.8.1799
Art Historical Context
Girolamo da Carpi, an Italian artist active during the High Renaissance and early Mannerist periods, created this delicate pen-and-ink drawing between 1501 and 1550. Working primarily in Ferrara and Bologna, he was known for his graceful figure studies that reflected the influence of Raphael and other central Italian masters. “Two Figures” exemplifies the Renaissance interest in the human form, capturing the subtle interplay of pose and gesture in a compact, intimate scale. Executed in pen and brown ink on laid paper, the drawing measures just 15.2 by 8.8 centimeters, suggesting it may have s...