Getty Museum
Three Figure Studies
Creator
Giovanni Paolo PaniniItalian Artist · 1691–1765
All works by this person →Best known for his *vedute,* or view paintings, Giovanni Paolo Panini extended his versatility to portraits, decorative frescoes, and stage design. He also designed architecture, carvings, festival decorations, and ecclesiastical furnishings. He first trained in illusionistic painting under a stage designer in his native Piacenza, then moved to Rome to study figure drawing. Soon he found his speci
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- about 1740–1750
- Medium
- Gray wash over black chalk
- Culture
- Italian
- Department
- Drawings
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Giovanni Paolo Panini probably made this study of three men in varied poses to provide figure types for his views of Rome, called *vedute.* Although he usually focused on elaborate architecture, he gave a sense of scale and humanity to his scenes by adding numerous small figures performing various tasks. Panini drew these figures very quickly with thick black chalk lines, later adding gray wash in a range of strengths. He first lightly sketched in the overall form of the central figure, then added layers of wash to define the creases in his breeches and jacket. The darkest washes represent the shadows.
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