Artwork
Scholars Consulting Books and a Globe
Scholars Consulting Books and a Globe is a watercolor print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Francesco Costa. It dates from 1747 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower center in plate: Costa; lower left of plate: 2; by later hand, lower center verso in graphite: 109
About this work
Overview
Giovanni Francesco Costa’s print Scholars Consulting Books and a Globe, executed around 1747, is an etching on laid paper that was subsequently hand‑colored with watercolor and gouache. The composition presents two learned figures bent over a globe mounted on a wooden stand, surrounded by open books, all set against a richly draped red curtain edged in gold.
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts two scholars, each wearing a white wig and dark attire, a blue coat on one and a greenish robe on the other, engaged in serious study. The presence of the globe and the volumes suggests an inquiry into geography or historical knowledge, reflecting the Enlightenment‑era emphasis on scholarly investigation.
Technique & Style
Costa combines the linear precision of etching with vivid hand‑applied watercolor and gouache, allowing the figures, globe, and decorative backdrop to stand out in bright hues. The contrast between the fine etched lines and the saturated colors creates a sense of depth and immediacy characteristic of late Baroque printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑18th century, the print is known from museum collections and catalogues of Costa’s oeuvre. No specific patron or original ownership is recorded, and the work has circulated primarily as a printed illustration of scholarly activity in the period.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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