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Woman Seated on the Ground/Woman Holding a Distaff Woman Seated on the Ground (recto)

Parmigianino

The Courtauld Institute of Art

The Courtauld Institute of Art
London, United Kingdom

One of the most prolific draughtsmen of the Renaissance, Parmigianino seems to have made this drawing of a female figure, who may be a saint or a Roman slave, as an experiment in technique and expressive form. Rather than using white only for highlights, as was common practice at the time, he applied it extensively to the woman’s face, hands and drapery to create volume as well as detail. The contrast between white bodycolour and black chalk produces a subtle effect of light and dark appropriate to the figure’s meditative pose and expression.

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  • Title: Woman Seated on the Ground/Woman Holding a Distaff Woman Seated on the Ground (recto)
  • Creator: Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola)
  • Creator Lifespan: 1503-1540
  • Date Created: Circa 1523-1524
  • Physical Dimensions: 23.1 x 17.5 cm.
  • Type: Drawing
  • Rights: Photo Ⓒ The Courtauld
  • External Link: Explore The Courtauld's collection
  • Medium: Black chalk and white boydcolour, on light brown tinted laid paper
  • Acquisition Credit: Princes Gate bequest, 1978
The Courtauld Institute of Art

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