Paardenknecht met pijlenkoker aan een bandelier 1510 - 1546

Giulio Romano rendered this drawing of a horse groom with pen and brown ink around 1520-1524. The figure dominates the composition with his dynamic pose and ornate attire. Romano’s use of line is particularly striking. Notice how a network of fine strokes models the groom's quilted tunic and puffed sleeves, creating the illusion of texture and volume. This contrasts with the smoother, more flowing lines that define his limbs, lending the figure a sense of movement and energy. The rapid, gestural lines suggest an immediacy, as if capturing a fleeting moment. Romano's deliberate use of cross-hatching and varied line weights to articulate the figure’s form gives the drawing a sculptural quality, typical of the High Renaissance concern with classical ideals. This elevation of the everyday to a refined study speaks to a broader cultural interest in transforming mundane subjects into objects of aesthetic contemplation.