Mantegna drawings

For those interested in renaissance drawings, I hear through the dealer network about a couple of Mantegna drawings due to be auctioned in Italy next month. I’m particularly intrigued by his study for an Lamentation; this has the body of Christ reversed on the lower portion of the sheet.

Marco Fagioli of Farsettiarte writes, “the Lamentation of Christ is an extraordinary piece for compositional invention and drawing strength. In the upper part Mantegna composed the scene foreshortening Christ body according to the vanishing point perspective, a variation from the central perspective of the Lamentation over the Dead Christ of Brera in Milan. In this drawing the Holy Marys crying are positioned behind Christ and the left one, in profile, almost repeats the one of the painting in Brera. In this drawing, Christ’s perspective is underlined by the frontal poses of the three Holy Women, by their haloes, circles that become perspectic ellipses. In the lower part of the drawing Mantegna repeated Christ body in the opposite direction, with the head toward the viewer, achieving this way a high sense of drama.”

I can’t help but agree. What extraordinary invention, well before Michelangelo started experimenting with his foreshortened and reversed figures on paper.

Comments

[Michael Savage]

Hi David
I wrote about this drawing too: http://grumpyarthistorian.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/new-mantegna.html
I must say my first thought was fake, because all of its inventiveness is contained in two related Mantegna drawings. On balance I think it's probably right, but I do look forward to its full publication, and I'm very interested in its provenance.

[David Packwood]

Hi Michael,

I got an e.mail from the auction house which is how I came to know about the sheets. I read your piece after I'd posted this, and I see there is more about the drawings on other sites. Yes, I agree, hesitant at first but starting to become more convinced.

David