River God
1720
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1720
chalk
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This sketch shows a muscular man sitting on a rock, holding a shell-like object. His body is twisted, with one arm resting on his knee and the other stretched out behind him. The lines are rough and quick, giving his skin and hair a textured, almost sketchy look. The artist used red chalk on light paper, adding white highlights to make the figure pop. The loose, energetic strokes suggest movement, even though the scene is quiet. Next, check out the Baroque movement for more dramatic, lively art like this.
