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Standing and Seated Figures in a Landscape with an Obelisk

1520–83
Not on view
The drawing was listed by A.E. Popham as a work of an anonymous Venetian draftsman of the Sixteenth Century in the John B. Skippe collection catalogue of 1958 (Christie's, November 20-21, 1958, lot. 263B). The attribution was corrected to 'Circle of Nicolò dell'Abate' by Harry G. Sperling, who acquired the drawing during the Skippe sale and eventually donated the sheet to the Metropolitan Museum in 1975 (a hand-written annotation with this attribution remains on Sperling's own copy of the Skippe's catalogue in the Department of Drawings and Prints, MMA). Françoise Viatte in January of 1980 (written correspondance to Jacob Bean) recognized this drawing as a characteristic example of the work of Giovanni Battista Pittoni, a Veronese specialist in fantastic landscapes with Roman ruins. Pittoni's sprightly personality as a draughtsman has been defined in relation to his documented prints, and indeed drawings in the Witt Collection, London, the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, and the collection of Emile Wolf, New York, are preparatory studies for engraved landscapes. Alessandro Ballarin supplied a brief summary of Pittoni's work as a draughman in his article published on "Arte Veneta" (vol. 25,1971, pp. 104-05). (F.R.)

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Standing and Seated Figures in a Landscape with an Obelisk
  • Artist: Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder (Italian, Vicenza ca. 1520–ca. 1583 Venice (?))
  • Date: 1520–83
  • Medium: Pen and brown ink
  • Dimensions: 8 3/8 x 7 1/4in. (21.3 x 18.4cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Harry G. Sperling, 1971
  • Object Number: 1975.131.1
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Ornamental frieze with foliate scrolls
Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder
16th century
View of an Island with Antique Ruins (The Abduction of Europa), from: Imagini Favolose, Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder Italian, Etching, state before initials; verso drawing in pen and ink with wash
View of an Island with Antique Ruins (The Abduction of Europa), from: Imagini Favolose
Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder
1575–85
Roman ruins with the horse tamers (Dioscuri) on the Quirinal Hill, plate 36 from "Discorsi Sopra L’Antichita di Roma", Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder Italian, Etching
Roman ruins with the horse tamers (Dioscuri) on the Quirinal Hill, plate 36 from "Discorsi Sopra L’Antichita di Roma"
Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder
1730–60
Landscape with Ruins with the Burning of the City of Troy, Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder Italian, Etching
Returned to lender
Landscape with Ruins with the Burning of the City of Troy
Giovanni Battista Pittoni the Elder
1561
Lucretia, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) Italian, Pen and brown ink over black chalk, partially incised with a stylus (recto); rubbed with black chalk for transfer (verso)
Lucretia
Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi)
1508–10

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