Plate 2: various figures carrying out tasks that include tying a sack and loading a horse
Original title: Plate 2: various figures carrying out tasks that include tying a sack and loading a horse
kurzbeschreibung
Pietro Santi Bartoli made this sheet around 1660–90. A crowd of figures is scattered through a wooded setting, each busy with a different task: one ties a sack shut, others get a horse ready to be loaded. Nothing is said about the medium, and the sheet measures 16.2 × 45.7 cm.
Description
The action runs from left to right across the sheet, sorting the various jobs along the way. Some figures wear clothes, others go barefoot and unclothed. Trees and a stone structure rise behind them. Bodies are caught in lively poses, which brings out the sequence of the work. There is no colour; the light falls evenly, with no strong shadows or highlights.
Context
Bartoli, an Italian engraver and draughtsman, is best known for his reproductions of ancient Roman art. This plate belongs to a series that seems to present everyday scenes or mythological subjects. What the series was exactly meant for has not come down to us, though Bartoli often worked for Roman collectors and scholars. A date of about 1660–90 places the sheet in the period of his greatest activity.
Impact
The animated poses and the precise rendering of each hand movement make the action easy to follow. The clear, evenly drawn lines and the calm layout give the sheet something matter-of-fact, almost like a record.
Technique
No medium is specified, which suggests a drawing in pen or chalk. The landscape format measures 16.2 × 45.7 cm and is strikingly wide, which points to a model for a print or to the shape of a frieze. With no colour, the contours and the movement of the figures stand out more strongly.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)