meeting of two opposing groups of men on horseback; man and horse on ground in center foreground

Fighting Horsemen, c. 1565-1566

Not on Viewexpand_more

The virtuoso draftsman Luca Cambiaso was the leading artist of 16th-century Genoa. He was so prolific that his wife and his servant reportedly stoked the fire with his drawings. Even so, thousands of studies by his hand survive, more than by any other Renaissance artist.

This sketch exhibits Cambiaso’s trademark cubic simplification of forms—in the heads, arms, and legs of the riders—and distinctive swift handling and lively pen lines. His inventive figural vocabulary and imaginative compositions inspired hundreds of imitators, making it difficult to distinguish his drawings from those of his followers. The watermark on this sheet locates the paper in or near Cambiaso’s studio.

Details
Title
Fighting Horsemen
Artist Life
Italian (Genoa), 1527 - 1585
Role
Artist
Accession Number
65.43.2
Provenance
Richard Cosway, Lugt 629, London (until d. 1821). Private collection, England ['Sir Gregory Osborne Page-Turner, Bt., Battlesden Park, Battlesden, Bedfordshire] (until 1828; sale, Christie's, London, March 15, 1828, possibly in nos. 116-120. [Apolloni, Rome, until 1965]
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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meeting of two opposing groups of men on horseback; man and horse on ground in center foreground