Creation of Eve
Original title: Creation of Eve
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many contemporary treatments of the subject, this sheet by Vincenzo Tamagni gives the creation of Eve an almost mirror-like structure: God stands at the middle, the naked Eve to his left, while a few figures behind them stay only suggested. The drawing is carried out in pen and brown ink and was made between 1517 and 1520.
Description
God occupies the middle, one hand stretched forward as he begins to form the naked Eve standing at his left. Brown ink strokes govern the whole sheet, and in the garments folds and the weight of cloth become visible. A strict symmetry orders the layout, light falls evenly across the surface, and hard shadows are absent. The hand is linear and graphic throughout, as was common in the Renaissance.
Context
Tamagni, an Italian painter and draughtsman of the Renaissance, passed through Raphael's workshop. Biblical subjects belonged to the standard repertoire of art at the time and often served as preparatory studies for larger commissions, or stood on their own as independent sheets. With a date of 1517–1520, the drawing falls in a phase when Tamagni was clearly shaped by the High Renaissance.
Impact
The clear, mirror-like arrangement and the clean linework give the sheet a calm balance. The figures are recorded with much detail, yet because the light is spread so evenly, a quiet, collected mood settles over the page.
Technique
Pen and brown ink on paper — this allows fine contours and precise hatching. The procedure was usual for Renaissance preparatory drawings: on a light ground the artist worked with ink to test forms and surfaces.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)