Sketches of six statues: Magdalen by Canova, Divine Love by Bienaimé, Praying Angel, Boxer by Canova, Trust in God by Bartolini, and Madonna by Raphael
Original title: Sketches of six statues: Magdalen by Canova, Divine Love by Bienaimé, Praying Angel, Boxer by Canova, Trust in God by Bartolini, and Madonna by Raphael
kurzbeschreibung
Drawn around 1850, this sheet by John Gibson gathers six pencil studies of sculptures, supplemented by inscriptions in pen and brown ink. The statues include works by Antonio Canova, Luigi Bienaimé and Lorenzo Bartolini, as well as a Madonna after Raphael.
Description
Six separate drawings are arranged side by side on the paper, each devoted to a different statue: a praying figure, a winged standing figure, a seated figure, a standing man, a seated woman and a woman with a child. They are executed in pencil, with occasional notes in ink. Numbers and dates on the sheet give clues to the place and time of recording. The line remains loose and sketchy; colour or finished backgrounds are absent.
Context
As a British sculptor, John Gibson worked in Rome, where he engaged closely with antique sculpture and the art of the Italian Renaissance. On this sheet he recorded his engagement with works by contemporary and older masters, studying them for his own practice. The drawing dates from around 1850, when Gibson was at the height of his fame and had influential connections in Rome.
Impact
A look into Gibson's sketchbook allows his working method and his handling of significant sculptures to be followed directly. Because colour and elaborated details are missing, the pose and proportion of the figures come to the fore. Fleeting pencil lines meet carefully placed ink notes, creating a juxtaposition of spontaneity and documentary precision.
Technique
The drawing was done in graphite, whose fine lines are well suited to studies. The inscriptions are in pen and brown ink and stand out clearly from the drawings. At 23.4 x 18.7 cm, the paper is a handy format typical of sketchbooks.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)