Girolamo da Treviso
1498-1544
The Madonna and Child with Saint Bartholomew and a Bishop Saint
ca. 1520-1530
9 13/16 x 8 5/16 inches (249 x 211 mm)
Pen and brown ink and wash, opaque white, and black chalk, pricked and squared in black chalk with some incised lines, on blue laid paper.
2012.53
Gift of Helen-Mae and Seymour Askin.
Notes
Although Girolamo da Treviso's early career remains largely a mystery, according to Vasari, he worked in Treviso and Venice before arriving in Bologna by 1523. The present sheet is an outstanding example of the artist's virtuoso skill as a draughtsman. It reveals his painterly handling of the medium, as the pen line is punctuated by wash and accents of white heightening to create a play of light and shadow. Anchored in the center of the composition, the Madonna and Child are flanked by Bartholomew who bears a knife -- symbolic of his martyrdom of being flayed alive -- and a Bishop Saint wearing a miter and holding a long crozier. Serene and harmonious, the drawing is executed to a high degree of finish, suggesting that its function was preparatory for a painting of the same subject.
Associated names
Askin, Helen-Mae, former owner.
Askin, Seymour, former owner.
Askin, Seymour, former owner.
Artist
Classification
Century Drawings
School
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