Personifications of the Nile, Indus, Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Original title: Personifications of the Nile, Indus, Tigris and Euphrates rivers
kurzbeschreibung
An anonymous Flemish draftsman of the 17th century arranged four river allegories into a single animated image. Drawn in black chalk, the sheet presents the personifications of the Nile, Indus, Tigris and Euphrates, set among further figures and animals.
Description
A group of figures appears as embodiments of the four great rivers. Some stand barefoot in traditional dress, others are wrapped only in cloths. Several wear animal heads, establishing the link to the rivers. Behind them emerge additional people along with a tiger and a crocodile. The image stays monochrome in varying shades of grey, with light and shadow clearly worked out.
Context
The sheet dates from the 17th century and is considered the work of an unknown Flemish artist. River allegories were standard repertoire in Baroque art, often tied to praise of princes or to the idea of the four continents then familiar. Possibly the drawing served as a preparatory study for a larger project, or was intended as an independent sheet.
Impact
The lively arrangement of the figures and the striking animal heads give the image expressive dynamism. The restriction to chalk in grey tones lends it a calm, yet by no means weak, presence.
Technique
The work was executed in black chalk on paper. Precisely guided strokes and careful modelling of figures and animals demonstrate confident handling of the medium. Through the shading, sculptural effects arise that give the sheet spatial depth.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)