1744
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Alexander the Great and Campaspe in the Studio of Apelles is a 1744 ink by Francesco Fontebasso, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a crowded scene inside an artist’s studio. On the left, a man in armor holds a spear while another man sketches a draped figure. In the center, a woman sits on a low stool, looking down, with a child nearby. To the right, a soldier in fancy clothes stands beside a seated woman holding a scroll, while another child plays on the floor. Outside the window, a grand building and a ship are faintly sketched. The artist used shading to show light and fabric folds, making the figures look almost three-dimensional. The mix of real and sketched elements—like the window view—hints at how artists studied real life to create their work. Next, look up etching to see how this technique works.
Francesco Fontebasso (4 October 1707 – 31 May 1769) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque or Rococo period of Venice.
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