The Capitoline Eagle

c. 1601/1602

Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Associated Names
Sir Peter Paul Rubens
Artist, Flemish, 1577 - 1640
The artwork is a detailed pencil drawing on paper, depicting an eagle with its wings spread wide. The eagle is centrally positioned, standing atop a spherical object. Its feathers are intricately sketched, showing texture and depth through the use of shading and line work. The bird's head is turned slightly to the side, with a sharp, curved beak and eyes. The talons are prominently gripping the sphere. The background is plain, emphasizing the eagle as the focal point of the composition. The overall tone of the drawing is monochromatic, relying on the variations in pencil shading to convey form and volume.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    black chalk on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Emile E. Wolf

  • Dimensions

    overall (approximate): 21.7 x 27.5 cm (8 9/16 x 10 13/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1976.68.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Emile E. Wolf [1899-1996]; gift to NGA, 1976.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1978

  • Rubens and Humanism, Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 1978, no. 33, repro.

1998

  • A Collector's Cabinet, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1998, no. 73.

2023

  • Il tocco di Pigmalione: Rubens e la scultura a Roma, Museo Galleria di Villa Borghese, Rome, 2023 - 2024, no. VII.1, repro.

  • The touch of Pygmalion. Rubens and sculpture in Rome, Museo Galleria di Villa Borghese, Rome, 2023 - 2024, unnumbered catalogue.

Bibliography

1977

  • Jaffé, Michael. Rubens and Italy. Oxford, 1977: p.81, no. 33, pl.267.

1978

  • Farmer, J.D. Rubens & Humanism. Birmingham, 1978: p. 49, no. 33.

1998

  • Wheelock, Arthur K., Jr. A Collector's Cabinet. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1998: no. 73.

2023

  • Cappelletti, Francesca, and Simonato, Lucia, editors._ Il tocco di Pigmalione: Rubens e la scultura a Roma_. Exh. cat. Galleria Borghese, Rome, 2023-2024: 184-185, no. VII.1.

Inscriptions

Inscribed by a later hand upper left in ink: 302

Wikidata ID

Q64632550

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