by-nc

Sheet of nine figure studies

Maker

Attributed to
(artist)
1720-1778

Title

Sheet of nine figure studies

Date of Production

(circa) 1750 - 1755

Medium

red chalk and graphite on laid paper, right lower edge made up

Dimensions

Height: 17.1 cm
Width: 14 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.3971

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords




Label Text

In this small chalk, drawing Piranesi rhythmically repeated figures across the sheet, evenly spacing them on invisible diagonal lines. Lacking any context, these isolated motifs may have functioned as stock figures for populating printed images. Given their lively gestures and various viewpoints, the figures might have been drawn from life, as Piranesi is known to have sketched people he saw in the streets of Rome.

Provenance

Konstantinoff (Paris); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

Special Display - The Grid, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 26/01/2012-28/05/2012

G.B. Piranesi, 1720-1778, Nottingham University Art Gallery, 1970

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Verso: upper right corner, graphite, unclear: “#7[?] / close. Am[…]”; lower right, brown ink, cut off at lower edge: “IoGiovani Sc[…]”.

Collector's mark: none.

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