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Studies of a Youth Pulling Ropes (recto); Faint Study of a Youth Pulling a Rope (verso)

Aurelio Lomi

1614

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque

Dominant colour

Studies of a Youth Pulling Ropes (recto); Faint Study of a Youth Pulling a Rope (verso) is a 1614 chalk by Aurelio Lomi, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Aurelio Lomi
When & what style?: 1614 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a young man in loose, flowing clothes, pulling on a thick rope with both hands. His body twists as he leans into the effort, muscles tense under his skin. The background is just a few quick lines—no details, just enough to show he’s indoors. The paper is blue, and the chalk lines are rough, almost sketchy, like the artist was testing ideas. The artist left some marks on the paper’s edge, maybe from handling it. This style of quick, expressive sketches was common in the Baroque movement.

About the artist

Artist

Aurelio Lomi

Aurelio Lomi (29 February 1556 – 1622) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance and early-Baroque periods, active mainly in his native town of Pisa, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

See the richer artist page