Two Nymphs and a Satyr

1640/1647

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione

Associated Names
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione

Artist, Italian, 1609 - 1664

The image depicts mythological figures in a nature setting. The lines are fluid and expressive, capturing dynamic interactions. The background features sketchy renderings of trees and foliage. The figures have elongated forms and the composition is energetic and somewhat dramatic. The use of ink lines and lack of color lends a classic and timeless quality to the image.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and brown ink on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Andrew W. Mellon Fund

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 9.7 x 13.9 cm (3 13/16 x 5 1/2 in.)
    support: 19.2 x 23.4 cm (7 9/16 x 9 3/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1975.71.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Earl Spencer (Lugt 1530). (sale, Sotheby's, London, 4 July 1975, no. 105). (Yvonne tan Bunzi); acquired 1975 by the NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1972

  • Italian 17th Century Drawings from British Private Collections, Edinburgh Festival, 1972, no. 32, repro.

1997

  • Six Centuries/Six Artists, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997.

2012

  • The Baroque Genius of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C., 2012

Inscriptions

in later hand, lower right: B Castili; lower left on mount: 1/2 the Lat? / 176 L1-; across bottom on mount: Castiglione / Coll Earl Spencer; upper center verso: A / No.46

Wikidata ID

Q64572394

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