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Graphite Drawing After Bartolomeo Passarotti

Drawing of hands and figures copied from a work by Bartolomeo Passarotti

This blog post is for a drawing of hands and nude figures that was done in graphite pencil and copied from a pen and ink drawing by Bartolomeo Passarotti. The original by Passarotti is in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. Unfortunately, you can’t find an image of the drawing on the Ashmolean website. I think if we all get together and call the Ashmolean Museum website and tell them to display the drawing online they will probably still not do it. Or maybe I could start a petition that various people can sign and then we can accomplish nothing that way. An image of the original appears in the book ‘Anatomy Lessons of The Great Masters’ by Robert Hale. Most of the old master copies on this blog were done from that book. It’s something I did during the Covid pandemic. I’m just getting around to posting the drawings online. Well enough chit-chat, let’s learn more about the master artist Bartolomeo Passarotti.

Bartolomeo Passarotti was an Italian Mannerist painter renowned for his contributions to the Bolognese School of Painting during the late Renaissance. Passarotti’s super duper artistic career prospered under the fancy schooling of the renowned painter Prospero Fontana. (FYI: ‘Prospero’ means ‘prosperous’ in Italian) Bartolomeo Passarotti created a unique style distinguished by its naturalism, energetic colors, and painstaking attention to detail. Passarotti excelled in portraiture, depicting his subjects with sharp observation which included their individual characteristics and expressions. Sometimes he would also incorporate a touch of wit and satire into his works. While portraiture was his main gig, Passarotti also displayed his versatility through various genres, including religious, historical, and mythological themes.

I’m just getting around to posting the drawings online.

In addition to his super fantastic skill, Passarotti was a dedicated teacher and art theorist. He created a drawing academy in Bologna, where he taught a whole lot of aspiring artists, including celebrated artist Ludovico Carracci. Passarotti even wrote a treatise called, “On Painting and on the Excellences of the Perfect Painter.” I looked for it online but couldn’t find it. I have a feeling the Ashmolean Museum staff doesn’t know either.

Passarotti’s impact spread throughout Italy and his contributions to the Bolognese School played an important role in the development of the Baroque style and the subsequent rise of the Carracci family as leading figures in Italian art.
While Bartolomeo Passarotti’s name may not be as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries, his impact on the art world is undeniable. He died in 1592, one hundred years after 1492 when Christopher Colombus sailed the ocean blue.

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Graphite Drawing After Raphael

Copy in Graphite of a drawing of the Drapery of 'Horace' and three hands by Raphael

Here we have a drawing copied once again by the great Italian master Raphael Sanzio. Located in the collection of the British museum, it was done in black pen and brown ink. My copy was done in graphite pencil. The drawing is a study of drapery and three hands. Like the last post, it is also a study for the fresco ‘Disputation of the Holy Sacrament’. And once again I have turned to ChatGPT to do the heavy lifting on this post. So like anyone in my position, I asked ChatGPT to write about the artist Raphael in the style of Dr. Seuss. And in a scolding tone, replied: I’m sorry, but there is no known connection between the artist Raphael and the style of Dr. Seuss. Raphael was a High Renaissance painter and architect from Italy who worked primarily in the 15th and 16th centuries, while Dr. Seuss was an American author and illustrator who worked primarily in the mid-20th century and is best known for his whimsical and playful style of drawing and storytelling. While there may be some similarities in their use of color and composition, it is unlikely that Raphael had any direct influence on the style of Dr. Seuss. So I researched Dr. Seuss because I get sidetracked easily and found out he wrote in a style called: anapestic tetrameter. So I asked ChatGPT: Write about the artist Raphael in anapestic tetrameter. And ChatGPT happily replied:

In Urbino, Italy, Raphael was born,
A painter of the High Renaissance morn,
With skills in architecture, art he adorned,
And left his mark before he was gone.

His works are known for their grace and beauty,
With figures that exude a sense of duty,
And colors that shimmer, lively and fruity,
A feast for the eyes, a painterly booty.

From the Vatican to the Medici’s halls,
His art adorned both great and small,
A master of his craft, he stood tall,
A legacy that still enthralls us all.

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Pen and Ink Drawing After Raphael Sanzio

Study of the Disputa After a Drawing by Raphael

Next up on our old master artist copy-a-thon, we have a drawing in ink copied from a work by Raphael. My copy was done with the ever-popular gel ink pen available at the finest art supply stores. Stores like Target and Walgreens for example. The original by Raphael was done with brown ink over a non-gel black ink pen. It is a study for the his fresco entitled ‘Disputation of the Holy Sacrament’ located in the Apostolic Palace inside the Vatican. At the tender age of twenty-five, Raphael obtained an important commission from Pope Julius II to decorate a ceremonial hall in the Vatican. Saints, priests, scholars, and poets are portrayed in the fresco. This drawing shows a detail of the overall composition. To portray the figures as lively and realistically as possible, Raphael created nude studies of each after a live model. The individual studies are brought together in this drawing to determine the spatial relationship between the figures. Now I’m not a writer so I am already getting very tired of writing. So I turned to technology to help me write about Raphael.

I used the artificial intelligence wunderkind known as ChatGPT to write about Raphael’s personality. According to ChatGPT, Raphael was gentle and affable. He had a great sense of humor and a warm, welcoming demeanor. He was easy to get along with. He was devoted to his faith. Raphael was highly skilled in networking and socializing. He was well-liked by both royalty and popes. On top of that he had wit, charm and of course, was incredibly artistically talented.

I used to admire Raphael, but due to ChatGPT, I find him very annoying. And that my friends is progress.
What about the subject of ‘Disputa’? Well, what about it ChatGPT? I tried to ask ChatGPT and it told me and I quote “!
Something went wrong. If this issue persists please contact us through our help center at help.openai.com.” So there you go, that is all I have for today.

Click here if you want to see an image of the study of the Disputa by Raphael.

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Graphite Drawing After Jacopo Pontormo

Graphite copy of a drawing by Jacopo Pontormo of a Young Man Holding a Small Child

The image accompanying this post is a copy in graphite pencil of a drawing by Jacopo Pontormo. The original drawing is described as “A Young Man Holding a Small Child”. On the other side of the paper, there is another drawing of “A Young Man Holding a Small Child”. The sheet of paper that has those two drawings is in the Scottish National Gallery of Art. Pontormo was an Italian artist that worked in the Mannerist style which strayed from the realism Renaissance art. He elongated his figures to create more expressive compositions.

According to Giorgio Vasari’s Life of the Artists, Pontormo was a very withdrawn and neurotic individual. This idea of Pontormo has managed to exaggerate the popular conception of the artist, as seen in the film, Pontormo, a Heretical Love by Giovanni Fago. It is Fago’s portrayal of Pontormo that he is engrossed in a lonely, paranoid, and often protected process of his final Last Judgment project. When Vasari was writing his Lives of the Artists, he was in intense competition with the Pontormo/Bronzino workshop, according to art historian Elizabeth Pilliod. The professional feud between the two studio owners might have provided Vasari with enough motive to run down his opponent’s artistic lineage in his quest for patronage by the Medici family.

Except for Bronzino, few were able or willing to emulate Pontormo’s artistic peculiarities. In some of Bronzino’s early paintings, the authorship is still debated whether it belongs to him or to his instructor. In some ways, Pontormo shares the Mannerism of Rosso Fiorentino and Parmigianino. It could be said that he anticipated the Baroque as well as the style of El Greco. It was also a result of his idiosyncrasies that he had an original and cohesive sense of composition. Unfortunately, Pontormo’s work was quite out of fashion for several centuries. The fact that so much of his work has been lost or harshly damaged is a testament to this neglect. Fortunately, he has received renewed attention from contemporary art historians.

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Prismacolor® Pencil Drawing After Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Copy of a Male Nude by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta in black and white Prismacolor Pencils

This post contains a drawing in Prismacolor® pencils that was copied from a work in chalk by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. That is some name, isn’t it? I counted twelve syllables. There seem to be a lot of Italian names that are of similar complexity. I feel bad for all the Italian school teachers that had to do a roll call every day. I hope they got paid overtime. I just realized how corny my sense of humor is. I have been in denial for so long. Anyway, I know a lot of you are not familiar with the name Giovanni Battista Piazzetta. I am not either but I will do some research on behalf of both of us.

I have been in denial for so long.

The following information has been taken from the Virtual Uffizi website which refers to itself as the unofficial website of the Uffizi museum in Florence, Italy. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta’s drawings and paintings were noted for their Rocco style, with subtle coloring and rounded forms of religious and genre subjects. His father was a sculptor, and Piazzetta studied woodcarving with him before studying painting with the Venetian Baroque painter, Antonio Molinari. Molinari along with the Bolognese painter, Giuseppe Crespi, and the Emilian artist, Guercino all had a big impact on Piazzetta’s work. Even though Piazzetta did not receive many commissions throughout his career, he also illustrated books with drawings to pay the bills. His illustrated work is reminiscent of Rembrandt’s paintings. In all his works, Piazzetta created complex scenes where the subject was never obvious, and his characters were immersed in more than it seemed. The subjects he created would take on several different meanings. Piazzetta also added melodramatic features and had a reputation for being a darker artist than his Venetian contemporaries. Much of his later years were spent teaching, and although not wealthy, Giovanni Battista Piazzetta was a well-respected artist.

If you would like to see a facsimile of the original which is housed in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa then by all means click here.

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Pen and Ink Drawing After Albrecht Durer

Pen and ink drawing of the Arm of Eve

Here is a drawing of an arm. It is an arm copied by hand that was copied from the artist Albrecht Durer. It was done in white and black gel pens on gray-toned paper. The arm is that of Eve holding an apple. I assume it is an apple. I never went to church growing up. This means that I’m at a huge disadvantage when it comes to being hypocritical and feeling superior to others of a different religion. I guess that last sentence shows, albeit sarcastically, that I feel I am superior to religious people. I think I just outed myself. Well, let us talk about the drawing I copied from Durer. The original can be found in the Cleveland Museum of Art. It was drawn on a special blue Venetian paper with black and gray washes and highlighted with white gouache. Gouache is like watercolor but more opaque.

I never went to church growing up.

This is what the museum says about the drawing: This drawing of the Arm of Eve, done in 1507 is the only surviving preparatory drawing for Dürer’s life-size panels of Adam and Eve in the Prado Museum in Madrid. This is also the only drawing by the artist made on that Venetian blue paper I mentioned before, which he used during his winter trip to Venice in 1506–7 to practice chiaroscuro. Using only black and gray ink, wash, and gouache for shading and heightening, Dürer’s composition of a disembodied arm and hand suggests the grace and balance of the complete human form. An ideal proportioned study of a hand makes a reference to Albrecht Durer’s artistic skills.

Albrecht Dürer was one of the greatest Renaissance artists. His ingenious ideas about geometry and the proportion of the human body, as well as the realistic representation of nature, earned him the reputation of being the Leonardo Da Vinci of northern Europe. Dürer believed that nature, as God’s creation, was the true source of art. His art embodied the belief that artists should draw exactly what they see in order to make their work as convincing as possible: “The more precisely the forms in your work are compatible with life, the better it will appear. That is the truth. So never imagine that you can or should attempt to make something better than God has allowed his created nature to be. For your ability is impotent compared to God’s creativity.”

If you would like to see the original drawing of Eve’s Arm holding an apple by Albrecht Durer, click here.

If you would also like to see the final painting of Eve by Albrecht Durer, click here.

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Graphite Drawing After Federico Barocci

Pencil drawing of arm studies copied from Barocci

Our next drawing was copied from the Italian artist Federico Barocci. The original was done with chalk and is described as “Studies for the Martyrdom of San Vitale” and can be found at the Staatliche Museen, Berlin. My copy was done in pencil and can be found in my hall closet. I couldn’t find a copy of the drawing on the Staatliche Museen website but a similar one can be found by clicking here. Federico Barocci’s painting of the “Martyrdom of San Vitale” can be found in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. Since I haven’t talked about Federico Barocci in previous posts, let’s learn a little about this guy. I found the following information on the www.oxfordbibliographies.com website. Is it a reliable website? Well, it has the word ‘oxford’ in it so I guess so. Not only that but it also has the word ‘bibliographies’ in it which contains many syllables. You put them together and you can’t go wrong.

Since I haven’t talked about Federico Barocci…

Federico Barocci was the most well-known and well-paid Italian artist during the later 16th and early 17th centuries. He came from a successful artisan family in Urbino. He later traveled to Rome through his elder countryman Taddeo Zuccaro and received a papal commission. In the meantime, he received local commissions, resulting in his breakthrough Deposition in Perugia Cathedral in 1569. In addition to the altarpieces he provided in Arezzo and Ravenna, Barocci also received important Roman commissions that cemented his reputation. Although distorted human figures of the Mannerist style were still popular at that time, Barocci created his figures from direct observation. He used many drawings and studies to create carefully constructed paintings. Perhaps due to the sentimentality of his paintings, Barocci’s reputation declined in the 18th century. As a result, there is not much written about Federico Barocci, despite the fact that research has grown substantially in recent years and today Federico Barocci is considered one of the most brilliant draftsmen of his time.

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Graphite Drawing After Peter Paul Rubens

Study of Arms Copied from Peter Paul Rubens

This next post is another copy in graphite of a drawing in black chalk by Peter Paul Rubens. It is a study of arms or perhaps studies of arms. In the book I’m drawing from the original is described as “Studies for a Painting of the Death of Decius Mus”. In the Victoria and Albert Museum, it is titled “Studies of Arms and a Man’s Face”. It is hard to see the man’s face in both the original and my copy. I’m not sure why I wanted to point that out. Since I have talked about Peter Paul Rubens in earlier posts, so I guess I’ll talk briefly about Decius Mus. I took the liberty of decoding the description ‘Death of Decius Mus’ and concluded that either he or she did in fact die. But since the imaginary people that I believe read these posts demand to know more, I shall provide them with more. The following information was taken from the website thehistorianshut.com which I guess means either ‘The Historian’s Hut’ or ‘The Historian Shut’. Like maybe the historian’s name is ‘Shut’. Not to be confused with ‘The Historian Slut’ who ‘knew’ countless historical figures. The following information was researched by the historian C. Keith Hansley. I can only imagine what the ‘C’ stands for.

I’m not sure why I wanted to point that out.

During the campaign of 340 BCE, Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus and Publius Decius Mus were present on the battlefield when Romans and Latins met in a lopsided conflict. As Publius Decius Mus’ group struggled during the battle, he fought with more boldness and disregard for his own safety. Decius fully embraced the role of human sacrifice. A nearby priest conducted an improvised ritual to devote himself to the gods after he slipped away from the frontline. While the battle raged, Decius was believed to be wearing a purple toga, standing on a spear, and reciting a long drawn-out speech about offering himself to the gods. As a result, the preparations were finished, and the sacrifice could begin. Publius Decius Mus, however, would not end his life like a sacrificial animal. Instead, with his weapon in hand, he charged into battle against the Latins, fighting to the death. After Publius Decius Mus was killed in battle, the momentum generated by his charge lessened, but Titus Manlius Torquatus was able to swoop in and lead the Romans to victory. After the battle, the Romans buried Decius as a hero.

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India Ink Drawing After Luca Cambiaso

India Ink Drawing of Cain and Abel Copied from Luca Cambiaso

Next up we have a copy of a drawing of Cain and Abel by Luca Cambiaso. The original was done in pen and wash. I made my copy with India Ink on watercolor paper. Right now you are probably wondering just who is this Luca Cambiaso person. Let us consult the Italian Art Society which sounds like an organization that should know what they are talking about.

Luca Cambiaso was born in Genoa, Italy on November 18, 1527. He was a top artist in Genoa during the middle and late 16th century and ran a big and productive workshop. In his childhood, he learned to paint with his father, Giovanni Cambiaso. Luca created his first works when he was only fifteen years old. At the age of seventeen, he began working with his father on the Palazzo Doria’s decoration. Additionally, Luca assisted Il Bergamasco with decorations for the church of San Matteo. Luca partnered with Giovanni Battista Castello on several projects in the 1550s. During 1560, Cambiaso completed frescoes for the Palazzo Imperiale in Campetto, Genoa, which brought him notoriety and additional commissions. FYI: Palazzo Imperiale means Imperial Palazzo in Italian. Cambiaso was asked to work for Philip II of Spain in 1583 and you don’t say no to Philip II. San Lorenzo’s church at the Hieronymite monastery of the Escorial was his first commission.

You don’t say no to Philip II

He studied Raphael and Michelangelo’s methods, and he was open to learning new ones. Luca was also impacted by the works of Titian and Veronese. In the mid-1560s, he developed a draughtsman style that incorporates geometric forms. By the 1570s, Luca’s works began to be more reflective, which he continued to develop during the rest of his career. He influenced a lot of painters, who analyzed his frescoes in Genoa. His followers became known as the Genoese School. Luca died in Madrid on September 8, 1585.

Here is a link to see a bunch of drawings by Luca Cambiaso.