1624
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
From "Bizzarie di varie Figure" is a 1624 ink by Giovanni Battista Bracelli, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a person made entirely of chains and locks. The figure stands with arms raised, one leg bent, as if frozen mid-motion. The chains twist around limbs and joints, forming the shape of a body. The artist turned everyday objects into a human form, almost like a puzzle. This was part of a series called *Bizzarie di varie Figure*—meaning "oddities of various figures"—where ordinary things became strange, creative shapes. Next, check out the technique: etching to see how artists like this made detailed prints.
Giovanni Battista Bracelli or Braccelli is the name of more than one engraver and painter active in central Italy in the Baroque period, between about 1616 and 1649.
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