Putti aan weerszijden van een medaillon 1715 - 1798

Here is a drawing of "Putti aan weerszijden van een medaillon" made by Dionys van Nijmegen. The sketch presents a central medallion flanked by putti, rendered with delicate lines in what appears to be red chalk on paper. The composition is sparse, focusing on the interplay between the figures and the circular form. Nijmegen uses line work to create volume and suggest movement. Notice how the contours of the putti are implied rather than explicitly defined. This technique opens up a semiotic space for the viewer to participate in completing the image. The drawing, while classical in subject matter, verges on abstraction through its reduction of form and emphasis on line. It destabilizes the clear boundaries between representation and pure form. The drawing underscores how traditional subjects could be a site for formal experimentation. This approach would resonate with later movements that sought to challenge fixed meanings through abstraction.