Endymion 1671 - 1749

Donato Creti created this drawing, "Endymion," with pen and brown ink, and it now resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition’s structure hinges on a tension between the terrestrial and celestial realms, rendered with dynamic lines that give form to clouds and figures. The undulating lines create a sense of movement, as if the scene is in constant flux. Creti employs a semiotic system where the sky chariot, the reclining figure, and the dog function as signs within a larger narrative. The textured lines and cross-hatching add depth, drawing our eye to the contrast between the smooth skin of the figures and the rougher rendering of the landscape. This suggests a dialogue between idealized forms and the natural world. The drawing doesn't merely illustrate a myth; it destabilizes the traditional hierarchical relationship between the divine and mortal. Through his manipulation of line and form, Creti offers a meditation on beauty, desire, and the fluid boundaries of mythic space.