Jupiter Hurling a Thunderbolt

Giulio Romano

1530–37 · Brown ink and washes, black chalk underdrawing, traces of red chalk, laid paper · Drawings and Prints

Dazzling for its energy and economy of means, this quickly drawn pen study was preparatory for a figure in one of the great milestones of Mannerism in Italy, the monumental illusionistic frescoes in the "Sala dei Giganti" (Room of the Giants), from 1531–34, at the Palazzo Te in Mantua. The precocious Giulio trained in Raphael's workshop and soon became a significant collaborator with the master, achieving international stature in his own right after 1520. He built and decorated the Palazzo Te for Federico II Gonzaga (1500–1540), the fifth marchese and first duke of Mantua, where Giulio settled as court artist from 1524 until his death.

Artist

Giulio Romano

Date

1530–37

Medium

Brown ink and washes, black chalk underdrawing, traces of red chalk, laid paper

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Guy Wildenstein Gift, 2000