A Caricature with Ball Players

Giuseppe Maria Mitelli

Associated Names
Giuseppe Maria Mitelli

Artist, Italian, 1634 - 1718

This is a drawing of two abstract characters interacting with a ball. The drawing features two stylized figures, each with exaggerated facial features and expressions, positioned on either side of the image. The figure on the left appears to be gesturing or reaching towards the right, with one hand extended and the other arm clad in a patterned sleeve. The figure on the right is holding a large, spherical object, maintaining eye contact with the left figure. Each character exhibits a sense of dynamic posture, suggesting movement and engagement with each other. The artwork employs a monochromatic color scheme with sepia tones and bold, expressive lines.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    iron gall ink on laid paper, with black ink borders

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Benjamin and Lillian Hertzberg

  • Dimensions

    overall: 16.4 x 29 cm (6 7/16 x 11 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2004.140.22


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Benjamin and Lillian Hertzberg, New York; gift to NGA, 2004.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2018

  • Sense of Humor: Caricature, Satire, and the Comical in Prints and Drawings from Leonardo to the Present, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2018 - 2019.

Inscriptions

by later hand, lower right verso in graphite: 14

Wikidata ID

Q64572493