Two Kneeling and Two Standing Figures 1690 - 1758

Nicola Maria Rossi made this pen and brown ink with gray wash drawing of four figures sometime in the 18th century. Rossi was working at a time when the institutions of art were becoming more systematized, which meant more academies, prizes, and state-sponsored commissions. Drawings like these were the bedrock of that system. In Italy at this time, one way for an artist to get ahead was to demonstrate his mastery of the human form. In the drawing, we see two sets of figures, perhaps in supplication. The loose drawing style and expressive gestures serve as evidence of the artist's skillful hand and imaginative powers. The practice of drawing was thus an important piece of the artistic culture of the time. Art history is the study of that culture and the conditions that made it possible. To understand this drawing better, one could consult the records of the Roman Academy, the writings of contemporary art theorists, and the biographies of successful artists.