Unidentified design, sculpture
1737
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1737
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Unidentified design, sculpture is a 1737 by Joseph Frans Nollekens, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
The image depicts a sketch of a sculpture, showcasing a man standing over a woman. The man is positioned with his right leg forward, holding a sword in his right hand and grasping the woman's hair with his left. The woman is seated on the ground, leaning back and looking up at the man. The sketch is rendered in brown ink, with visible pencil marks underneath. The artist's use of bold lines and expressive gestures brings the scene to life. This dramatic scene is reminiscent of the work of artists who explored intense emotions and dynamic compositions. To explore more works that embody these qualities, look up the Baroque movement.
A design by Joseph Nollekens depicts a group composition titled *The Massacre of the Innocents*, featuring two figures arranged in a dynamic confrontation resembling the biblical scene of David and Goliath, with one figure slaying the other. Part of a collection of 100 designs for potential monuments and other works, the sculpture explores a violent narrative through a compact, expressive arrangement.
Read the full account in the museum source.
This London-born sculptor spent his life carving marble so smoothly that his busts looked like living people frozen in time.
See the richer artist page
![Two Reclining Figures [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/06163eb1c0b367f2/thumb.webp)
