Sheet of Figure Studies
Battista Franco, Italian, 1498 - 1561
first half of the 16th century
Pen and brown ink on paper
Overall: 6 × 8 3/8 in. (15.2 × 21.3 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Julia L. Whittier Fund
D.984.4.1
Geography
Place Made: Italy, Europe
Period
1400-1600
Object Name
Drawing
Research Area
Drawing
On view
Inscriptions
None.
Label
Drawings were an essential element of studio and workshop practice for sculptors, just as they were for artists in other media. Sketches might be made from live models, but antique sculpture and casts after the antique were also essential tools for artists practicing their skills or developing compositions. The artist here has focused on legs, arms, and twisting bodies such as the turning woman at the center. In this work, Franco uses drawing to layer ideas on a page, with a mixture of figures, poses, and levels of detail all on a single sheet.
From the 2024 exhibition Living with Sculpture: Presence and Power in Europe, 1400–1750, curated by Elizabeth Rice Mattison, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art, and Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections
Course History
History 42.01, Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies 22.01, Gender & European Society, Patrick Meehan, Spring 2024
History 96.39, Saints and Relics, Cecilia Gaposchkin, Spring 2024
Italian 1.01, Introductory Italian I, Noemi Perego, Spring 2024
Italian 11.01, Intensive Italian, Floriana Ciniglia, Spring 2024
Italian 2.01, Introductory Italian II, Floriana Ciniglia, Spring 2024
Italian 3.01, Introductory Italian III, Tania Convertini, Spring 2024
Italian 3.02, Introductory Italian III, Giorgio Alberti, Spring 2024
Exhibition History
Figure Studies, Ivan Albright Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 8, 1993-January 9, 1994.
Living with Sculpture: Presence and Power in Europe, 1400–1750, Citrin Family Gallery and Engles Family Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 23, 2024–March 22, 2025.
Provenance
Yvonne French, London, England; sold to present collection, 1984.
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