Two Peasants

1490s

Workshop of Andrea Mantegna

Associated Names
Italian 15th Century

Artist

Andrea Mantegna

Artist, Paduan, c. 1431 - 1506

The image shows two full-body portraits of elderly men drawn in profile. The man on the left is standing facing slightly forward, with his eyes looking to the side. The man on the right is bent over, leaning forward with his left knee on an elevated platform. Both men have prominent facial features with distinct wrinkles, emphasizing their age. Their hair is short and somewhat unkempt, and they are wearing wide-brimmed hats. Their clothing consists of loose, draped cloaks over simpler garments underneath, with the fabric appearing worn or tattered in places. Each man holds a walking stick in one hand. The background is plain with a subtle texture, and the figures are set against a lightly shaded backdrop.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    engraving on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed within plate): 14.3 × 10.5 cm (5 5/8 × 4 1/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.1340

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Hind 'Engravings', Vol. 5, p.40, no. 12, State i/ii (as Giovanni Antonio da Brescia)

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Friedrich August II, King of Saxony [1797-1854], Dresden (Lugt 971); (sale, C.G. Boerner, Leipzig, May 7-9, 1928, no. 64); purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], Jenkintown, PA (Lugt 1760b); gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1960

  • Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 1960, no cat.

1973

  • Prints of the Italian Renaissance, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1973, no. 201.

1992

  • Andrea Mantegna, Royal Academy of Arts, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1992, no. 57.

Bibliography

1938

  • Hind, Arthur M. Early Italian Engraving; a critical catalogue with complete reproductions of all the prints described. 7 vols. London: Bernard Quaritch Ltd., 1938-1948.

1973

  • Levenson et al. 1973, no.87.

1992

  • Boorsch, Suzanne, et al. Andrea Mantegna. Exh. cat. Royal Academy of Arts, London; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. London and Milan, 1992: no. 57.

Wikidata ID

Q64953548

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