A Performance by the Commedia dell'Arte

c. 1710

Claude Gillot

Associated Names
Claude Gillot

Artist, French, 1673 - 1722

This is a drawing of a group of figures in an architectural setting. The scene depicts several animated figures against classical architectural elements such as columns and arches. The figures are rendered in a loose, expressive line, capturing motion and emotion in their gestures. The drawing has a sketched quality and employs ink with varying thickness and washes to suggest depth and texture. The emphasis on movement and interaction, combined with the architectural setting, suggests a lively and dynamic moment frozen in time.

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Artwork overview

Associated Artworks

The image displays a series of intricate, swirling lines and shapes that form an abstract composition. The arrangement of the lines and curves resemble ornate architectural details or decorative elements. The drawing invites the viewer to connect these forms to familiar objects like decorative scrollwork or vintage calligraphy. The overall appearance of the piece is reminiscent of a detailed sketch focused on exploring patterns and textures.

Studies of Ornament and Architecture

Claude Gillot

1705

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Strölin et Bayser, Paris); purchased by Ian Woodner, New York, 16 October 1972; by inheritance to his daughters, Andrea and Dian Woodner, New York, 1990.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1973

  • Woodner Collection II: Old Master Drawings from the XV to the XVIII Century, William H. Schab Gallery, New York and tour to Los Angeles County Museum and Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1973-74, no. 95.

1983

  • Master Drawings from the Woodner Collection, J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu and tour to Kimbel Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX; The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC; The Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, 1983-1985, no. 56.

1986

  • Meisterzeichnungen aus Sechs Jahrhunderten: Die Sammlung Ian Woodner, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna, and Haus der Kunst, Munich, 1986, no. 78.

  • Dibujos de los siglos XIV al XX: Colección Woodner, Museo del Prado, Madrid, 1986-87, no. 93.

1987

  • Master Drawings: The Woodner Collection, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1987, no. 76.

1990

  • Master Drawings from the Woodner Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1990, no. 96.

1995

  • The Touch of the Artist: Master Drawings from the Woodner Collections, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1995-1996, no. 77 (entry by Margaret Morgan Grasselli).

2006

  • Master Drawings from the Woodner Collections, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2006 - 2007 (no cat.).

2009

  • Renaissance to Revolution: French Drawings from the National Gallery of Art, 1500-1800. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 94-95, 280, 2009, no. 38 (color; recto and verso).

2017

  • The Woodner Collections: Master Drawings from Seven Centuries, NGA, 2017.

2023

  • Claude Gillot: Satire in the Age of Reason, The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, 2023, no. 30, repro.

Bibliography

1974

  • Butler, Joseph T. "Old Master Drawings from the Woodner Collection II." Connoisseur 186 (1974): 56-57 (repro.).

2000

  • McCullagh, Suzanne Folds, et al. Maineri to Miró: The Regenstein Collection since 1975. Exh. cat. Art Institute of Chicago. Catalogue published in Museum Studies 26, no. 1 (2000): 34, under no. 10.

2002

  • Tonkovich, Jennifer. "Claude Gillot and the Theater, with a Catalogue of Drawings." 3 vols. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, 2002, 1: 108, 166; 2: 267-271, 273, 274, cat. 26; 3: figs. 44-45.

2023

  • Tonkovich, Jennifer.Claude Gillot: Satire in the Age of Reason. Exh. cat. the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, 2023: 96, fig. 3.29, no. 30.

Wikidata ID

Q64540110

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