Seated Female Figure Holding a Book and a Scroll (?)

Veronese School

mid-15th century · Pen and dark brown ink, over black chalk · Robert Lehman Collection

Although the artist cannot be identified, the sculptural, even classical, tone of the figure—perhaps a Sibyl—points to a Veronese origin. The artist has focused on the softly modeled drapery, which cascades in rhythmic folds. As in other drawings of the Veronese school, the color of the paper is reserved for the lightest parts of the drapery, while the range of darker tonalities is built up through the use of hatched pen lines.

Artist

Veronese School

Date

mid-15th century

Medium

Pen and dark brown ink, over black chalk

Culture

Italian, Verona

Department

Robert Lehman Collection

Credit line

Robert Lehman Collection, 1975