Boy Drawing before the Bust of a Roman Emperor, c. 1658–61
Michael Sweertsexpand_more
Oil on canvasexpand_more
The Walter H. and Valborg P. Ude Memorial Fundexpand_more 72.65
Not on Viewexpand_more
For centuries, drawing was the basis of artistic training. Michael Sweerts often depicted artists engaged in drawing live models or plaster casts of famous ancient sculptures. (The artist opened a drawing academy in Brussels in 1656 after a long sojourn in Rome.) This painting is tinged with a hint of irony, however, as Sweerts depicts this young draftsman studying a bust of Vitellius, a notoriously cruel and gluttonous Roman emperor. With black and white chalk in hand, the innocent boy is shown deep in concentration, translating the jowly features of the wicked tyrant onto the page. Is Sweerts suggesting with a wink that attaining skills in this art also corrupts'
Details
- Title
- Boy Drawing before the Bust of a Roman Emperor
- Artist Life
- 1618 - 1664
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 72.65
- Provenance
- Sale, Sotheby's, London, April 19, 1972, no. 86, as by Wallerand Vaillant, for £3,600, to Drown). [Alberto di Castro, Rome, 1972, sold, as by Michael Sweerts, for $15,517, to Mia]
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.